Oceans of Revenge
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: Part Three of Servant Girl Series: After returning to Port Royal, Jack and Lara run into more dangerous conflicts.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I still don't own the extremely handsome Jack Sparrow. Disney is still borrowing him for Pirates of the Caribbean II.  
  
AN: This is the third part of the Servant Girl series. People asked for it, so here it is! I hope that people won't be mad if this is shorter than the first two. Time restrictions and stuff like that happens. Well, hope you enjoy it!  
  
Chapter 1: Reflections and Visitations:  
  
Lara stood at the bow of the Black Pearl, gazing out over the ocean. The setting sun made the usually crystal blue water look like liquid gold; pirate gold.  
  
Lara chuckled at that last part. Pirate gold indeed. Jack would be proud of her thinking like that. The two of them had been married for just over two years now, and it still felt like only yesterday Lara had been serving the Governor's daughter.  
  
Her eyes glazed over at the thought of her former mistress. The last time she had seen Will and Elizabeth was when their little son, William Turner III (or Billy, so as not to confuse him with his father) had been born six months after Jack and Lara had gotten married. After receiving word of the pregnancy, Lara had insisted on staying close to Port Royal so as not to miss the birth. In fact, Lara had made sure that she was at least two weeks early so she could help Elizabeth. Jack had wanted to send the crew to Tortuga until the arrival, but they really wanted to be there for the event. Besides, the small "treaty" between Governor Swann and Jack still stood: Jack and his crew would not be arrested or imprisoned while they were in Port Royal, unless they committed a crime. After making sure that the crew would look "respectably decent" when in town, and that they remained on the ship at night, Jack agreed to let the crew stay.  
  
The day of the birth was typical. Elizabeth screamed her lungs out while Lara kept her company and the men (Will, Jack, and the Governor) waited outside. Jack was the one who had kept the father and grandfather-to-be calm during the birth by doing what he did best: get them slightly drunk. It actually worked. When Lara came out to tell them that it was a boy, Will and the Governor actually seemed slightly sane (even though both fainted when they were told that they were actually a father and grandfather). When he had been born, little Billy had his father's dark eyes, but his mother's light brown hair, and promised to be as stubborn and fiery as his mother as well. Will and Elizabeth would have their hands full with that little one. Jack had commented that he'd make an excellent pirate before Elizabeth threatened to smack him for jinxing the boy for life.  
  
Lara sighed. She felt bad for not giving Jack a child yet, but he simply smiled and said they had all the time in the world to raise a ship full of pirates-to-be. Lara wasn't sure whether or not he was joking, but she still felt bad. Still, they were young and healthy, so technically there was nothing to worry about. She just wished she could have given Jack a small Sparrow to dote on. She sighed again.  
  
"What's wrong, luv?" came a voice as a pair of arms wrapped around her.  
  
Lara smiled as she leaned back. "I'm just thinking, Jack, that's all."  
  
Jack frowned. "I know yer only thinkin' about one thing when ye sigh, luv." He grabbed her chin and made her look at him. "We've got time to have little ones, luv, don't worry."  
  
Lara's eyes were sad as she looked up at him. "I know, it's just-" Jack's lips on hers cut off her sentence.  
  
A moment later, he reluctantly broke the kiss. "I told ye not to worry, and I mean it," he said softly. His eyes suddenly brightened. "Why don't we visit Will and Elizabeth? It's been a year and a half since we've seen them and that boy of theirs; we can check and see if they're still alive!"  
  
Lara laughed. "Between the two of them, I think they can handle him." She smiled up at him. "That would be wonderful, Jack. I'd love to see what the boy looks like now."  
  
Her husband nodded. "Alright, I'll tell the crew and we'll head there right now!" He gave her a quick kiss before going to talk to Annamaria at the helm and the crew below decks.  
  
Lara sighed as her gaze returned to the sea. "Port Royal, here we come."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Pearl arrived near Port Royal ten days later. Lara looked like she was going to jump off of the boat and swim to shore before they docked. Her husband just laughed at her impatience as the crew readied a rowboat for Jack and Lara to take to shore.  
  
"Are ye sure ye don't want to go to Tortuga fer a while, Gibbs?" Jack asked his second mate. "We might be here a while."  
  
Mr. Gibbs shook his head. "We'll be fine, cap'n," he said. "We need some time to get our land-legs back anyway." The rest of the crew grinned.  
  
Lara's eyes widened. "Oh, no," she said, shaking her finger at them. "No troublemaking! I don't want to have to bail anyone out of the prison anytime soon!"  
  
The rest of the crew put on innocent faces. "Now would we do anythin' like that, Mrs. Sparrow?" asked Mr. Gibbs, a small grin on his face.  
  
Lara just snorted. "If I remember correctly, Mr. Gibbs, I had to smuggle you away from a market because of an incident involving you, some rum, and a cart full of apples." The rest of the crew chuckled as Mr. Gibbs blushed.  
  
Jack laughed. "And a good time that was, too. I don't think the apple market was the same that year!" Everyone laughed as Jack and Lara were lowered into the water and waved as they rowed to shore.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
An hour later, the two Sparrows were knocking on the front door of the Turner home. The cottage looked like an addition had been added on for the new arrival, and a few toys were in the front yard, but it still looked basically the same. Jack knocked on the door and waited. A somewhat flustered Elizabeth answered the door. Her eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Lara? Jack?" She quickly grabbed the two in tremendous hugs before herding them inside. Once the two were seated in the parlor, Elizabeth had a maid bring them tea. Jack sniffed at the tea before drinking it. Elizabeth laughed. "Sorry, Jack, but with a baby in the house, there's no rum here for you to drink."  
  
Jack shrugged. "I can always help myself on the Pearl, lass, don't worry." At that moment, an adorable little boy waddled into the room, sucking his thumb.  
  
Lara smiled. "Well, hello, aren't you sweet?" she cooed. The boy simply smiled and walked over to her before stretching his arms out to her. Lara swept him up and began playing with him while Elizabeth frowned.  
  
"Billy, how did you get away from your father?" Elizabeth asked the boy. At that moment a panic-stricken Will raced in.  
  
"Oh, there you are!" he said, racing over and snatching up his son. Will looked sternly at the boy. "Don't you ever do that again!" The baby simply giggled.  
  
"Will, you're supposed to be watching him!" Elizabeth scolded.  
  
"I was," her husband protested. "He just got away from me, that's all." The baby giggled again.  
  
Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm putting him down for his nap," she said, taking her son. "Why don't you entertain Jack and Lara for a while?" She walked upstairs.  
  
Will dropped down into a chair and sighed. "Thank heaven!"  
  
Lara chuckled. "And I thought you'd be happy having a family!"  
  
Will glared at her. "You just wait until you have children, then I'll be the one laughing."  
  
Jack smiled. "Don't worry, whelp, we're just buying our time."  
  
Will snorted before his smiled. "So how is everyone?"  
  
Lara smiled. "Everyone on the Pearl is fine. Gibbs is still a bit superstitious about having women onboard, but I think Annamaria and I are wearing him down."  
  
"Aye," said Jack. "I'd love to see his expression when we start having little Sparrows onboard!" The three of them laughed.  
  
"So what's new around here?" Lara asked, finishing off her tea.  
  
Will sobered quickly. "Well, you remember Thomas Pierce?"  
  
Jack's eyes narrowed. "What about him?" His hand inched towards his sword.  
  
Will sighed. "The doctors say he's stuck and needs someone to help and jog his memory back into action," he said. "Unfortunately, Thomas' family is too poor to travel here from England, and his friends among the sailors are out at sea most of the time." Will looked over at Lara.  
  
Jack angrily shook his head. "No, Will," he said. "I can't let her do it."  
  
"But she has to," Will protested. "She's his only hope for getting his memory back."  
  
Jack glared at him. "And when he remembers who she is, and who I am?" he asked. "What then? What happens when he wants her all over again?"  
  
Will shook his head. "The two of you are married now, Jack," he said. "Thomas can't break the two of you up without destroying that 'treaty' you and the Governor made and putting people in danger."  
  
Lara sighed. "He's right, Jack. Even if he did remember, he couldn't take me away without endangering innocent people. That's not his way."  
  
Jack frowned. "So yer goin' to visit him?"  
  
Lara smiled sadly. "I have to. I still feel terrible about my being the cause of his illness."  
  
Jack sighed. "Fine, we'll go tomorrow, but if he tries anythin', I'll gut him meself!"  
  
Lara smiled and took his hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Kind of boring, I know, but as I said before, background stuff is important! Please let me know what you think! Thanks! 


	2. Visiting Thomas

Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack Sparrow, though I did until Disney got him!  
  
AN: Well, I finally have some spare moments to write another chapter. I hope that people like this story so far. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 2: Visiting Thomas:  
  
Jack and Lara had a good night's sleep at Will and Elizabeth's, despite Billy's wakeup call at dawn when he had snuck into their room and jumped onto Jack and Lara's bed, effectively waking them. The next morning, Elizabeth loaned Lara a gown to wear to Thomas' so as not to attract attention. Will had tried to loan Jack a decent set of clothes, but Jack had given him a look that promised death if he kept it up. Finally, after a good breakfast, Jack followed his lovely lass and wife to the Pierce home, which housed Thomas and his small band of nurses and doctors. Lara felt terrible about Thomas needing so much care, but Jack seemed to be a bit chipper about it. After approaching the door, Lara gave a quiet knock so as not to startle anyone. There was a small scuffle before a nurse in a plain brown dress opened the door.  
  
The nurse blinked a few times in surprise, seemingly surprised that there would be any visitors. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is there something I can help you two with? Are you lost?"  
  
Lara smiled at her. "No, my husband and I are here to see Mr. Pierce." She took Jack's hand in hers. "We're old friends of his." Jack made a few coughing noises that sounded suspiciously like laughter, but Lara glared a warning at him.  
  
The nurse frowned. "Well, from the sound of that cough it seems like your husband sounds a bit ill. I think I could allow you to see Mr. Pierce, madam, but your husband should stay here." Lara nodded. The nurse looked thoughtfully at her. "May I have your name, madam?"  
  
"Oh, of course," Lara smiled. "I'm Lara Sparrow."  
  
The nurse did a double take. "Sparrow? As in the pirate?"  
  
Lara gave a small nervous laugh. "Oh, no, we just have the same name! People confuse us all the time." The lie seemed a good one.  
  
The nurse gave a relieved smile. "Thank goodness! I wouldn't want to frighten the staff! Please wait here while I check and see if Mr. Pierce is able to see you." She closed the door. Lara gave a quick sigh as Jack laughed.  
  
"That was interesting!" he exclaimed. "I love seeing people's faces when they talk about me!"  
  
Lara slapped his arm. "It's not funny!"  
  
Jack laughed again. "Of course it was!" Then he sobered. "I don't like ye goin' in there alone to see him, lass. He might hurt ye if he finds out about us."  
  
Lara smiled at him and touched his face, stroking his beard. "I can defend myself, Jack. You taught me how, remember?"  
  
Jack smiled at her and took her hand away from his beard, holding it in his hand and caressing it. "I know, lass, but I still worry for ye."  
  
The door suddenly opened and the nurse motioned to Lara. "Please follow me."  
  
Lara took her hand out of Jack's and followed the nurse, giving Jack one last look before the door closed. She followed the nurse to the back of the house and into a small sitting room. Thomas was seated in a chair by a window facing the backyard. He turned towards the door and his face lit up at the sight of Lara.  
  
"Hello!" he said cheerfully rising from his chair, making his way towards the nurse and Lara. The nurse motioned for him to stop walking, and he did.  
  
"Good morning, Thomas," said the nurse. "This young lady is here to visit you for a while." She waved Lara inside. "I'll let the two of you talk for a while." On her way out, she whispered to Lara, "Call if he remembers anything or acts oddly. He does that sometimes." Lara nodded and the nurse left, closing the door behind her.  
  
Lara turned towards Thomas. He looked different from two years ago. He no longer looked strict and professional without his powdered wig and Navy uniform. His real hair color was a dirty blond, and his gray eyes were no longer cool and stony but somewhat confused and happy at seeing a visitor. She smiled at him.  
  
"Hello, Thomas," she said quietly. She took a seat across from where he had sat before. Thomas quickly resumed his place from before.  
  
"Hello," he replied, smiling. "I never get visitors except the people from the Navy. They come once and a while." He tilted his head slightly, looking her over. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" he asked.  
  
Lara shifted a bit, hiding her nervousness. "Yes, you do, from a while ago." Lara gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry I couldn't have seen you sooner, but I've been traveling-"  
  
"Traveling?" Thomas interrupted, curiously excited. "Traveling where, and with whom?"  
  
"Oh, everywhere," Lara replied. She answered his second question a bit more carefully than the first. "I've been traveling with my husband."  
  
Thomas looked disappointed. "Oh, so you're married?" His eyes narrowed as he looked closer at her. "You weren't married before. What is your name again?"  
  
Lara looked at him in surprise. "No, I wasn't married before when you knew me." She hesitated before answering his final question. "My name is Lara. Lara Sparrow."  
  
Thomas shook his head. "No, that's not your name. It's something else."  
  
Lara was beginning to panic slightly. "Yes, it is my name."  
  
Thomas shook his head harder. "No! It's not! What's your real name? Who's your husband?"  
  
Lara swallowed. "My name was Lara Storm, but now I'm Lara Sparrow." She looked away from him. "My husband's name is Jack Sparrow."  
  
Thomas jumped up yelling. "No! You can't be married to him! You can't!" Lara looked up at him in fright as he grabbed her by the arms. "You're mine! You promised to be mine! My wife!" He started shaking her as the door flew open, revealing several nurses and a doctor.  
  
"Grab him!" the doctor ordered, pulling out a small bottle and a cloth from his pocket. He quickly opened the bottle and poured the contents onto the cloth as the nurses grabbed Thomas and pulled him away from Lara. The doctor then raced over and put the cloth over Thomas' nose and mouth. Within seconds, Thomas was passed out in his chair. Everyone drew in breaths of relief.  
  
"What happened?" asked the doctor, looking over at Lara.  
  
Lara was trying to calm herself still. "He remembered me, sort of. He remembered our engagement, before I married another man. I think that his feelings for me are still there and they brought back his memories of when we were once engaged." Lara fanned herself with her hand and a nurse gave her a glass of water.  
  
The doctor shook his head. "I think it would be best if you left, madam. There's no telling what he might do when he awakes." Lara nodded her head, set down the glass of water, then left for the front door.  
  
As she walked through the front door and closed it behind her, Jack took one look at her expression and enveloped her in his arms. He led her off of the porch and off towards Will and Elizabeth's. As they entered the house, Jack saw a note on a table from their friends, saying that they had gone to visit the Governor for the entire day with Billy. Jack was thankful for that. He wanted to spend the rest of the day comforting his lass.  
  
After he had made tea (adding a bit of rum from his hidden flask to the teapot to calm Lara down), Jack waited for her to drink a few cups before pressing for details.  
  
"So, luv, what happened in there with Tommy-boy?" he asked, watching her calm under the rum's influence.  
  
She smiled at him, seemingly a bit tipsy from the rum mixed in with the tea. "It wasn't that bad," she said. "He was nice at first, but after I told him who I was, he got upset." She turned somewhat serious. "He didn't like it when I told him I'd married you. He grabbed and shook me as he yelled at me." She drank down another cup of tea and put the cup back on the tray. She then leaned back and looked over at her husband and noticed something: Jack looked like he was ready to kill. Lara's eyes widened. "Jack, don't you dare do anything to Thomas!" she cried, grabbing his arm.  
  
Jack looked over at her, anger showing on his face. "Luv, he grabbed ye and tried to hurt ye. I can't let him get away with that." His hand inched towards his pistol.  
  
Lara shook her head. "I'm fine, Jack, really," she said, clutching his arm. "Please, it's not his fault. I mean, what if it you were in his place?" She looked up at him, pleading for him to understand.  
  
Jack took a deep breath. "Yer right, luv," he said, calming down. He pulled her into his arms, nearly into his lap. "I just don't like seein' ye get hurt. I can't help wanting to protect ye from harm."  
  
She smiled, leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder. "I know. When I'm with you, I can't help but feel safe."  
  
Jack smiled as he pulled her closer to him and put his head against hers. The two of them snuggled closer together, enjoying the other's warm, comforting presence. When Will and Elizabeth returned home that night with a sleeping Billy in their arms, they found the two asleep on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms. Elizabeth placed a blanket over the two of them and left them alone for the night.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: I'm glad that people like this story! Thanks to everyone (and Reikon, because she likes feeling special) for their reviews! I love you all! 


	3. Talks

Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack Sparrow, though I did until Disney got him!  
  
AN: School is a pain, and whoever invented homework should be shot! And I'm sorry for any mistakes in this chapter: I have a hurt finger and typing is a pain (stupid hangnail)! Anyway, with that in mind, please enjoy another Jack-filled chapter!  
  
Chapter 3: Talks:  
  
Lara woke up in Jack's arms on Will and Elizabeth's couch. She tilted her head back and saw Jack still sleeping, although there was a smile on his face. Lara quirked an eyebrow, but decided she didn't want to know what he was dreaming about. As she settled her head back on Jack's chest, something came hurdling onto the two of them, knocking the wind out of Lara and waking Jack. Looking down, they both saw little Billy Turner grinning up at them.  
  
Jack frowned at the little boy. "Where are yer mum and dad, little one?"  
  
Billy giggled as he sat up in their laps, showing them a small rag doll. "Pway wif me?"  
  
Lara chuckled. "I think he likes you, Jack!"  
  
Jack grinned at her. "Of course he does, luv! Everyone likes me!" He picked up Billy and set him on the floor. "Well, me boy, what do ye want te play?"  
  
Billy smiled. "Pirates!" Jack barely had enough time to quirk an eyebrow before a frantic Elizabeth rushed into the room and spotted the little boy.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness!" she exclaimed, picking up her son. "Will, he's in here!" Elizabeth called to her husband, still clutching her son. She looked over at her two friends. "He didn't cause any trouble did he?"  
  
At that moment, Will walked into the room, looking frazzled. "There you are!" he said, taking his son from his wife. "You are in so much trouble, young man!" Billy giggled at his father as Will took him upstairs.  
  
Elizabeth shook her head. "Well, at least we found him before he did some damage to the two of you!"  
  
Lara chuckled as she removed the blanket covering her and stood up from the couch. "Don't worry, Lizzie, we're fine. We needed to wake up anyway." She looked down at the gown that Elizabeth had let her borrow yesterday. "Oh, dear, it's all wrinkled! Lizzie, I'm so sorry!" She began to try and smooth it out.  
  
Elizabeth chuckled. "Don't worry; I'll have a maid iron it out when she does the washing tomorrow. Why don't you go change into something else? I left a new blue gown on your bed."  
  
Lara looked at her in surprise. "Oh, Lizzie, you didn't have to do that!"  
  
Elizabeth smiled. "I never got you a wedding gift, and I couldn't find you for your birthdays, so this makes up for it. Besides, you sent us such nice gifts for the baby from your trips, and you need some sort of nice, pleasant dress, even if you are on a pirate ship most of the time!"  
  
Lara chuckled as she went into the guest room she and Jack shared and closed the door. She looked at the gown and gasped. It was a lovely deep blue gown with white lace at the cuffs and throat. She picked it up and instantly changed into it. She tried to do the laces when there was a knock on the door. Lara opened it to find Jack grinning at her.  
  
"Ye look lovely, lass," he said, eyeing her up and down.  
  
Lara blushed. She couldn't believe she still blushed in front of Jack, even after being married to him for two years! She waved him into the room. After he was inside, she closed the door. "Thank you. Would you mind helping me with the laces?" Jack's eyes lit up. She slapped his arm. "I meant helping me do them up, not undo them!" Jack looked somewhat disappointed but helped her anyway. When they were done, Lara did a quick peek in the mirror before grabbing Jack's arm and leading him back into the sitting room. There they found only Elizabeth with a tray full of muffins and a breakfast tea. She smiled when she saw them.  
  
"I knew you'd look beautiful in that gown!" she said, pouring two cups of tea for Lara and Jack.  
  
"Where are Will and Billy?" Lara asked as she and Jack sat on the couch and took up their cups of tea.  
  
"Oh, they went to the forge," Elizabeth said, handing over the muffin basket.  
  
Lara raised an eyebrow. "Is that wise? Billy isn't even two years old yet! Isn't that dangerous?"  
  
Elizabeth smiled. "I thought so, too, until Will told me he wouldn't light any fires and that he locked up all of the tools and weapons. Besides, Billy likes going there to play."  
  
Jack smiled. "So he's goin' to be a blacksmith like his dad, hmm?" he asked, gulping down his tea and finishing off a muffin before helping himself to more. Lara winced at her husband's table manners but said nothing. She had tried to teach him proper etiquette, but it didn't seem to be catching. However, he did try to use them once and a while to please his wife.  
  
Elizabeth smiled. "It looks like it. He seems to enjoy it when Will shows him the tools."  
  
After a few moments of idle chatter, Elizabeth began fidgeting. "Lara, what happened at Thomas' yesterday?"  
  
Lara's teacup hovered halfway to her mouth. She carefully set the cup down on the saucer before placing it back on the tray. "It did not go well, Lizzie." She looked up into Elizabeth's curious gaze. "He remembered that he loved me and was supposed to marry me before I married Jack."  
  
Elizabeth gasped. "Oh, Lara, I'm sorry! He didn't try anything, did he?" she asked, taking one of Lara's hands in concern.  
  
Lara shook her head. "No, I wasn't badly hurt, but he did grab me and yell at me." She bit her lip and looked over at Jack before pressing forward. Her husband was frowning, but nodded for her to continue. "He said that I was supposed to marry him, and that I was his, not Jack's."  
  
Jack growled at her last words. "Let me at him, lass, and I'll prove that yer mine and not his!"  
  
Lara pulled out of Elizabeth's grasp before grabbing both of Jack's hands. "No, Jack. I am yours, remember? The Governor and Commodore Norrington saw us married, so it's legal." She smiled at him. "It's probably the only legal thing you've ever done!"  
  
Jack blinked at her before laughing. "You're probably right about that, luv," he said, squeezing her hands in his. "So yer mine and no one else can take ye from me!" He smiled.  
  
Elizabeth shook her head. "Will and I should have left well enough alone," she said. "We should have let someone else tell him about you and Jack."  
  
Lara shook her head. "No, Lizzie, he might not have believed it. Better it come from me than from someone else."  
  
Elizabeth looked at her friend. "But what if he decides to do something drastic, like come after you again?"  
  
Jack laughed. "He can try! Remember, he's not a red-coat anymore, so he can't exactly grab a ship, now, can he? And he remembers nothin' about sailing, so there's nothing to worry about!"  
  
"But he's got friends who are sailors!" Elizabeth pointed out. "He could get them to help him."  
  
Jack shook his head. "I doubt it. They know he's ill, and they know about the little 'deal' the Governor and I made. They won't put Port Royal in danger te help Tommy-boy anytime soon."  
  
Lara shifted uneasily in her seat on the couch. "Still, I think we should leave Port Royal as soon as possible. I mean, what if Thomas breaks away from his caregivers and tries to find me?" She looked over at Jack. "We don't want to cause any trouble here. That's a breach of the 'treaty' with Governor Swann."  
  
Jack looked thoughtful. "Yer right, luv," he said. "We wouldn't want the crew on the Pearl to be hanged fer something we did, now, do we?" He squeezed her hands again before releasing them. "Well, if we're leavin' I'd better go and signal the Pearl. They'll need a while to ready the ship and gather the crew from the taverns!" He sashayed out of the room and came back dressed in his coat and hat, his sword and pistol in his belt. "I'll be back this afternoon, luv!" He moved towards the door.  
  
"Jack, wait!" Elizabeth cried. Jack poked his head back into the sitting room. "My father wants to have dinner tonight with the four of us present. You know, to talk things over and see what everyone has been up to."  
  
Jack stroked his beard. "Well, it would give Gibbs and Annamaria extra time to round everyone up. Aye, we can have dinner at yer father's house. But-" he said pointing a finger at Lara and Elizabeth, "I am not dressing up like a stiff-necked Brit!" He then opened the door and left.  
  
Lara and Elizabeth exchanged looks before evil identical grins crossed their faces.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that night, Will, Elizabeth, Jack and Lara were on their way to Governor Swann's mansion with Billy left at home with a maid. With Will, Elizabeth, and Lara pestering him, Jack had been forced into decent clothes. He wore a new white shirt, black pants and boots, and had on a new dark brown vest and coat. He looked very handsome, but he just kept muttering about having to dress up like a Brit. When they arrived at the Governor's, they gave their coats to a maid, and a butler led them into the dinning room. Jack's eyes lit up at the sight of all of the crystal, silverware and fancy tablecloths, but a warning look from Lara gave him a disappointed air for the rest of the evening.  
  
The entire meal was fairly uneventful. Jack showed amazingly good table manners that had almost everyone wondering where he had learned them (except for his wife, who had a small, arrogant smirk on her face). They made conversation over the different places Jack had taken Lara over the eighteen months since the birth of the Turner's son, from Singapore to France, Germany, and Italy. They talked about Will's prospering business and Billy's accomplishments (from his first steps to his first words), as well as what had been happening in Port Royal since the Sparrows had last been there. Suddenly, the Governor changed the subject.  
  
"I've had some disturbing news about Mr. Pierce this morning, Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow," he said, sipping his glass of wine. Jack and Lara looked at him.  
  
"What have you heard, Governor Swann?" Lara asked, feeling Jack grab her hand underneath the table.  
  
The Governor looked over at them. "I've heard that Thomas is angry at what has happened between the two of you. I've actually tried to explain to him the reason for your marriage, but he seems to think the worst of you, Captain Sparrow." The Governor leaned back in his chair. "He thinks I have forced you into this marriage, Lara, and that you are unhappy with your husband. He's demanded that I break the marriage contract between the two of you at once." He raised his hands to stay off any protests. "I told him I have no intention of doing so, that you are happy and that it is also good for the people of Port Royal that this marriage has been done. When I explained the small 'deal' that Captain Sparrow and I have made, he seemed to understand and calm down, but I am not so sure," he finished as he sipped his wine.  
  
Jack nodded. "That's why we're leavin' tomorrow, Governor. The crew is being rounded up as we speak, so we'll be off before noon."  
  
The Governor nodded. "I believe that would be best, Captain. I fear what Thomas might try to do to the two of you, should he break away from his caretakers."  
  
At that point, dessert was served and nothing more was said on the subject. The rest of the meal was quiet, and it was soon time for the guests to leave. They soon returned to the Turner's house and everyone headed to their bedrooms. As the two Sparrows lay down in their bed, Jack wrapped his wife in his arms.  
  
"Don't ye worry, luv. I won't let that man get to ye."  
  
Lara smiled. "I know, Jack," she whispered as she drifted off to sleep. "I know."  
  
Jack leaned his head on his wife's and followed her into peaceful slumber.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*  
  
AN: Yay! Another chapter! And thank you to all of my reviewers! You really like my stories! Thanks for all of your support! I love you all! 


	4. Leaving and Secret Thoughts

Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack Sparrow, though I did until Disney got him!  
  
AN: School is evil and so are hangnails! I have two of them and they are on the same hand, so I apologize for any typos on this chapter and any that come after this. Anyway, thanks to all of my reviewers, I can't believe that I got over 12 of them! You guys rock and I love you all! Enjoy the chapter!  
  
Chapter 4: Leaving and Secret Thoughts:  
  
When Jack and Lara woke the next morning, it was slow and natural. It seemed that little Billy Turner hadn't managed to escape his parents that morning, for which the Sparrows were thankful for. Jack and Lara got to spend some extra time holding and kissing each other before getting up, dressing, then heading for the breakfast table. They arrived just in time to dodge a flying bit of porridge, courtesy of Billy, who had his breakfast smeared on his face. Elizabeth began cleaning up her son as Will quickly snatched all of the bowls and food out of Billy's reach.  
  
Jack laughed at the scene. "Yer son's got a good throw there, Will."  
  
Will looked at him and grinned. "Not really. I think he missed." Will dodged a playful swing at his head from Jack as the Sparrows sat down and Will and Elizabeth stood up. "We'll go and clean up Billy so that you can say good-bye to him before you leave." They then walked out of the room, leaving Jack and Lara alone with the remnants of breakfast. As Jack helped himself to some porridge, toast and tea, Lara leaned back in her chair, not touching the food.  
  
Jack looked over at his wife. "Are ye alright, luv?" he asked, concerned. His wife never passed on breakfast, no matter what happened.  
  
Lara smiled at him. "I'm fine. I'm just not hungry." She rubbed her forehead and sighed. Jack frowned.  
  
"Ye aren't worried about Thomas are ye?" he asked, taking her hand in his.  
  
She looked over at him and squeezed his hand. "I'm alright. I'd just feel better when we're safe on the Pearl and out of Port Royal, that's all."  
  
Jack nodded. "We'll leave as soon and Will and Elizabeth get back with Billy. That way ye can say good-bye and give 'em a day we can come back when Thomas has calmed down."  
  
Lara nodded and picked up a piece of toast while taking a cup of tea Jack poured for her. The two were silent as they ate, though Lara didn't eat much. That concerned Jack, but he silently promised himself to get the ship's cook to whip up something for her once they were back on the Pearl. As he ate his breakfast, Jack kept a discreet eye on his lass as she nibbled her toast and sipped her tea. He hated seeing her so frightened, but there wasn't much they could do about it except get away and hope that Thomas got the idea of their marriage through that thick head of his.  
  
The two quickly finished their meal, then went and stood in the sitting room, waiting for the Turners to come and say goodbye. After they appeared, Will holding a clean and very chipper Billy, there was a very emotional farewell. Elizabeth hugged Lara until Jack had to pry the two of them apart. After that, Will handed Billy over to his wife while he hugged Lara. After Will let go, Lara held Billy and promised she'd be back for his second birthday in a few months. Jack gave everyone a quick nod and handshake before taking Lara by the hand and leading her towards the Black Pearl. As the two walked along, Lara looked behind her to find her two friends watching her leave from their front porch, little Billy waving until the two Sparrows were out of sight.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
An hour later, Jack and Lara were onboard the Pearl with the entire crew below decks, primarily because the crew wanted Jack to tell about what had happened in Port Royal. As Jack told about their time in town, Lara nibbled on a bit of roasted meat made by Mr. Cotton, since Jack insisted that she eat something to make up for her lack of appetite that morning. They did not look happy when they heard that Thomas had tried to hurt Lara. Annamaria wanted to go back and gut him while everyone else angrily fingered their weapons. Lara quickly told them that she was alright and that the doctors had interfered, but they still looked like they wanted to hang him. Finally, Jack told them that it was unlikely that Thomas was going to try anything stupid like angering Jack and the Pearl's crew, so now everyone could relax and head up on deck so they could leave. Everyone looked over at Jack.  
  
"Um, where are we goin', cap'n?" asked Mr. Gibbs.  
  
"Tortuga, Mr. Gibbs," replied Jack. "I'm takin' my bonny wife there to do some shoppin'! We've got a storeroom full of treasure and no way to spend it, so let's get going!" The whole crew cheered and raced up on deck. "Annamaria!" The dark woman stopped on her way upstairs. "You take the wheel; I'm takin' my wife to our cabin; we're not to be disturbed." After Annamaria had nodded and vanished up on deck, Jack grabbed his lass by the hand and dragged her down below. As soon as the door was shut, Jack grabbed Lara around the waist and gave her a deeply passionate kiss, totally catching her off-guard. When Jack broke the kiss, Lara was still in a daze. As she slowly opened her eyes, she saw Jack wearing his familiar cheeky grin. She blinked and tried to speak.  
  
"Well," she whispered. "That was unexpected." Jack grinned even wider. "What was that for?"  
  
"Luv, I'm going to make ye forget Thomas if it's the last thing I do!" With those words, he swept her up in his arms and carried her towards the bed. No more words were spoken the rest of the day.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
He couldn't believe it.  
  
She had married Jack Sparrow. A pirate. A dog of the seas. Such a wonderful creature should not be bound to such a disgusting piece of filth. Such a woman deserved to be cherished and treasured, to be treated like the lady and queen she was, not floating on a broken bit of wreckage. He clutched the armrests of his chair. No matter what it took, he'd get to her. He'd find her and save her from that pig of a man, that Jack Sparrow. He'd do whatever it took to get out and track her down. He'd hunt them down to the ends of the earth and hang that pirate from the mast of his own ship while he watched. A grin spread over his face at the image. Yes, seeing Jack Sparrow dance from the rope was a good idea. He'd have to remember that one. Of course, he could always keelhaul the pirate, but the hanging would be much more fun to watch. After Sparrow was dead, he would take back what was rightfully his.  
  
Lara Storm. She would never be Lara Sparrow to him. That marriage had to have been something that pirate had tricked her into. Even though he had tried to blackmail Lara into marrying him, he'd had her best interests at heart. Her "love" for the pirate had likely been nothing more than an infatuation with him. Women often fell for the rough, dirty image of the pirate, so he hadn't thought she had been serious about the pirate. He'd hoped to marry her and make her forget her little 'crush' on Jack Sparrow, thereby making her fall in love with him. They had been so close to being wed. So close.  
  
A tap on the door interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Thomas, it's time for bed," called a nurse.  
  
He sighed. "Yes, I'm going to bed now, Miss Green," he said. The sound of retreating footsteps told of the nurse's departure. Thomas gritted his teeth. All he needed to do now was bide his time. Patience was the key. When the time was right, Lara would be his once again, and Jack Sparrow would be doing a dance at the end of a rope.  
  
All he needed was time.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Well, it's official: Thomas has lost it completely. And I'm sorry about the short chapter. I kind of had writer's block for this chapter, but the next one should be longer. Sorry! Anyway, please leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks! 


	5. Surprises

Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack Sparrow; Disney got him while I wasn't looking!  
  
AN: School is still evil! Everybody agrees, right? Of course you do (unless you're a teacher). Anyway, fanfic.net is being a pain in the ass. I had to upload seven different times, and the chapter still didn't look right! So if you have any problems, let me know and I'll email the chapter to you.  
  
Chapter 5: Surprises:  
  
Four months after they had left Port Royal, the crew was once again in Tortuga. Lara had wanted to stay close to Port Royal so she could be there for Billy's birthday in another two months. Meanwhile, Jack wanted to be near inhabited islands, considering that his bonny wife had been feeling a bit under the weather lately. Since Lara was rarely sick, Jack was somewhat worried. That was why, when the rest of the crew had gone ashore, he'd made sure that Lara stayed onboard in their cabin. She had protested profusely, but Jack refused to give in. Meanwhile, Annamaria had remained on the ship while Jack had made his way into town to find a few nice things to cheer Lara up.  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
Jack had spent the last several hours going through town trying to find something to give his lass, but nothing seemed right. She had enough clothes in their cabin, and her weapons were the best that pirate treasure could buy. She also had several vials of perfume, and jewelry was a part of the life of a pirate, so she didn't need those either. He was wandering back to the ship when he saw his favorite bar and smiled. He needed a little pick-me-up, so he figured that he'd stop in for a little while.  
  
'A little while' somehow turned out to be several bottles of rum later, and before he knew it, Jack was passed out at a table, dreaming about his lovely wife.  
  
Thomas' POV:  
  
He silently watched that idiot Jack Sparrow drink down several bottles of rum before passing out on his table. What a fool; it was hard to believe that the most feared pirate in the Caribbean was passed out in a corner table, drunk as a dog. This was going to be too easy. It was no wonder Lara had married him; it was most likely out of pity for the drunken fool than anything else. Of course, she also probably did it for the good of Port Royal, like the Governor said; she had always been as kind and thoughtful as she was beautiful.  
  
He next turned his attention to the drunken sailor sitting next to him. "So, you were saying something about Jack Sparrow?" he asked the sailor next to him.  
  
The sailor finished off his drink and ordered another. "Aye, Jack Sparrow, good pirate, even better drinker." He laughed and started on his new mug of ale. "And that wife of his sure is a looker! What a beauty like her is doing with a dog like him is beyond me!"  
  
"Indeed," he replied, looking over at the passed out pirate captain before returning to the sailor. "So, where is his lovely wife, anyway?"  
  
The sailor took a gulp from his mug. "Oh, last I heard from one of his shipmates, she was still on the Pearl. Heard she was feeling a bit under the weather." He waved his mug towards the direction of the docks. "I think old Jack left a member or two onboard to keep her company."  
  
"Is that it? Doesn't he worry about people sneaking onto his ship and stealing it?"  
  
The sailor laughed. "Steal the Black Pearl? What, lad, have you got a death wish? No one sneaks onboard the Pearl, or steals the ship herself! Jack would catch up to her, then have your insides spilling out on deck while you watched! No one messes with the Black Pearl or Captain Jack Sparrow!" After polishing off his drink, the old sailor passed out on the bar.  
  
He smirked. This indeed was going to be too easy. With Sparrow and his crew drunk as skunks, his plan was flawless. Lara would be his, and Sparrow wouldn't even know what happened until it was too late. He grinned as he made his way towards the docks.  
  
Lara's POV:  
  
Lara lay in bed, a cold compress on her forehead and the open window bringing in the smell of the sea. It would have been very soothing if the rocking of the boat wasn't making her feel ill every ten minutes. She had finally sent Annamaria away after getting tired of having the female sailor hovering over her all day. Now Lara was trying to get some sleep but it wasn't working. She closed her eyes anyway. She had finally begun to drift off when the sound of the door opening woke her.  
  
She sighed while keeping her eyes closed. "Annamaria, for the last time-"  
  
"I'm sorry, beloved, but it's not that horrid female," said an all too familiar voice.  
  
Lara's eyes snapped open. She barely had enough time to catch her breath to scream before a cloth dropped over her mouth. She struggled for a moment before she got too drowsy and blackness consumed her.  
  
Thomas's POV:  
  
After smacking the dark-skinned woman in the head with his pistol, he had snuck below to the cabin areas. After debating whether or not Lara shared a room with the pathetic pirate captain, he had decided that she most likely did. That way Sparrow could have better access to her. He winced at the though of his gentle lady sharing a bed with that pirate, but found relief when he remembered that he was there to save her from that fate. After opening the door, he saw her in the bed with her eyes closed, a cloth on her forehead and the window open to the breezes. He heard her sigh in annoyance.  
  
"Annamaria, for the last time-"  
  
He grinned and pulled out the scented cloth from his pocket. "I'm sorry, beloved, but it's not that horrid female," he said.  
  
Her eyes popped open and her mouth opened to scream. He stuffed the cloth onto her mouth and held her while she struggled and then fell unconscious. He left the cloth on her mouth for several more seconds to make sure she was out before bending over to pick her up.  
  
He sniffed her neck. She smelled of flowers mixed in with the smell of the ocean. It was light and addictive. He smiled. He then swept her up into his arms and carried her out of the cabin, across the deck and down the gangplank. Once he reached the docks, he put his unconscious beloved into a small rowboat and cast off. He started rowing for his secret hideout and the place where he would keep himself, and his beloved, for the rest of their blissful lives.  
  
Jack's POV:  
  
The next morning, Jack found himself with the biggest hangover of his life. He blinked several times before the room finally came into focus and settled into its rightful place. He sat up straighter when he discovered that he hadn't drunk while aboard the Pearl, but was instead in one of the taverns in Tortuga. He frowned, trying to remember what had happened. He remembered wanting to get one mug of rum, but for some reason bottles of the stuff had kept appearing from nowhere. He felt his purse. No, his money was still there. He was Captain Jack Sparrow after all, and no one stole from him. So he hadn't ordered the rum, but someone had.  
  
He shook his head. He had better get back to the Pearl. There was no doubt that his bonny lass would have his head this morning; she hated it when he got drunk in the taverns, which was why he always got drunk with his wife close by. He always ended up making her laugh with his drunken antics. If it were anyone else, they'd be beaten for laughing at him, but he was happy to make his wife laugh.  
  
Dear God, his mind was babbling. He shook his head again, got up, then headed for his precious Pearl and his waiting wife.  
  
When he arrived at the Pearl, a solemn scene greeted him. His entire crew stood on deck, each looking pale as a ghost. Annamaria stood at the top of the gangplank, a bandage wrapped around her head. Jack didn't like the looks of this one bit. When he got onboard, one particular face was missing. He looked around.  
  
"Where's me bonny lass?" he asked, looking at the crew. They all shifted around under his gazed. Annamaria was the one to speak.  
  
"He took her, cap'n," she said, rubbing her head.  
  
Jack's blood froze in his veins. His eyes narrowed. "Who took her? Every pirate in the sea knows not to mess with my bonny lass."  
  
Annamaria shook her head, wincing at the movement before clutching her head. "Who do ye think took her? It was that stiff-necked, wig-wearin' soldier of hers."  
  
Jack's hand landed on his pistol. "Well? Why are ye all standing there for?!" he yelled. "Go and search the town, ye lazy dogs, before I start firing me pistol!" He started waving it around to emphasize his point. His crew instantly responded by running down the gangplank. "Wait!" They stopped. "I want all of ye here at noon so we can regroup!" The crew nodded before racing off and Jack returned his pistol to its previous place. Annamaria was starting down the gangplank before Jack stopped her. "I want ye to stay here, Annamaria."  
  
She turned and glared at him. "I've got to go look for her, cap'n," she said, motioning towards the town.  
  
Jack shook his head. "You go and lay down. He must have knocked ye good fer you to be wearing a bandage."  
  
"Aye," Annamaria said, wincing. "He smacked me good, but not before I got a good look at him. I don't think that he knew I saw him, or else he would've shot me instead of whacking me in the side of the head." She rubbed the injured spot. "I'm sorry, cap'n, I've failed ye. I should have been more alert."  
  
Jack patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. I thought that ole Tommy-boy would have given up or not come after us for a while yet, but I underestimated him." He fingered his pistol. "Looks like I'm going to have to come up with some creative ways of guttin' the man."  
  
Annamaria started grinning. "Mind if I help?"  
  
Jack grinned evilly. "Only after my bonny lass and I finish with him. Ye and the crew can have the leftovers." Both pirates started to laugh before heading below decks to start their rescue plots for Lara and revenge ideas for Thomas Pierce.  
  
AN: Yes, he's finally done it! He's kidnapped Jack's bonny lass, and is going to keep her in that small little insane world of his. What will happen next? Will Jack find his lass before it's too late? Will Thomas finally have his way with his "beloved Lara?" Find out next chapter! Please review! 


	6. Awakenings and Dispair

Disclaimer: Still don't own Jack Sparrow; Disney got him while I wasn't looking!  
  
AN: Okay, I realize that I haven't updated for a while, but ff.net has been a pain in the ass, so it's not my fault. Also, I know everyone is scared stupid about Thomas having Lara. I'm going to say, right now, that I am all for happy endings, so don't panic (yet). Just sit back and let our wonderful Jack Sparrow do what he's best at: saving the day through some really odd plan of his (though that's not in this chapter)! Happy reading!  
  
Chapter 6: Awakenings and Despair:  
  
Lara woke with the sun in her eyes and a splitting headache. She carefully rubbed her eyes and groaned. "Where am I?" she murmured.  
  
"Where you're supposed to be, my love," spoke the voice that haunted her nightmares.  
  
Lara carefully opened her eyes and looked towards the voice. There, tending a fire, was Thomas Pierce. She sighed and took in her surroundings. They were in the back of a cave facing the ocean; she could hear it from where she lay near the wall. In the middle of the cave was the firepit, and on the far side was a large pile of food and supplies. Thomas smiled as he noticed her wandering eyes.  
  
"I hope you don't get too attached to this place, my love," he said fondly. "We'll be moving along soon."  
  
Lara looked over at him while still rubbing her head with her hand. "Then why are we here in the first place?"  
  
"You needed to rest, beloved," he replied, walking over to her and taking her free hand in his. "You looked ill on that floating wreckage, so I brought you here to recover for a day or two."  
  
Lara scowled at him before snatching her hand back. "The Pearl is not floating wreckage, Thomas! It is a beautiful piece of work, and I am proud of it!"  
  
Thomas frowned a bit before plastering on another smile. "You would think so, wouldn't you? You have been with that pathetically stupid pirate for a while now, so of course you would start to think like he would!"  
  
Lara's eyes narrowed in anger. "How dare you insult Jack!" she cried as she slapped Thomas across the face. Thomas's head flew to the side in reaction to the slap. He sat there for a moment, blinking, before turning around to face Lara, an odd smile gracing his face.  
  
"I'm going to forgive you for that, beloved, considering you are in shock at what has happened recently, and what has been happening to you for the past two years," Thomas said, patting her hand gently. "After all, being with that pirate captain and his horrid crew must have been torture for you." He picked up her hand and began stroking it, like one would stroke a cat. "You are a gentlewoman, after all, and weren't meant for such a rough life."  
  
Lara frowned at him before she pulled her hand back. "I like my lifestyle as it currently is, Thomas. I love the Pearl, and its crew, as much as I love my husband-" Those last words were a mistake, and Lara winced at Thomas's explosive reaction.  
  
"NO!" Thomas yelled, jumping up. "You are not married to that pirate and you are not going to spend another minute on that floating piece of driftwood!" His breathing became heavy. "You also do not love him. He is a worthless dog of the sea, and could never be worthy of a lady like you."  
  
Headache forgotten, Lara stood and glared up into his eyes. "I am married to Jack Sparrow, and I love him with every fiber of my being. He will come for me, make no mistake, and when he finds you, he'll gut you like the animal you are."  
  
Thomas once again put on a smile and reached to caress her face. "You've been ill, darling," he gently cooed to her. He then swept her up in his arms and laid her back down. "You're saying things that you don't mean and are delusional." He patted her head before heading back to the fire. "I'll have something ready for you to eat later. For now, I need to go get some more wood for the fire." He headed for the cave opening and disappeared.  
  
Lara waited several minutes to make sure he was gone. She carefully got up and headed for the opening. When she got there, she looked out over the ocean. By her judgment, it was nearing late afternoon. She then looked around the cave's opening and her heart sank.  
  
There was no beach.  
  
The cave started right at the water, just like the one on the Isle de Muerta, and could only be reached by boat. What was worse was the fact that Lara had no idea if she was on the same island of Tortuga, or was on another island all together. Another question filled her mind, one that she desperately needed to have answered:  
  
How was Jack going to rescue her now?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack lay on his bed, caressing the other side of it gently. It was the spot his wife usually slept in. If one was lying on the bed, facing up, Lara would be on the left and Jack would be on the right. That way Lara could snuggle into Jack's left shoulder when the both of them slept.  
  
Jack sighed. His lass had been missing for little more than a day, and yet it seemed longer than a year. He hadn't felt this alone since he had left his lass after his 'hanging' nearly three years before. For nine months he had been without her on his Pearl, and he had never wanted to feel that lonely again. Now he was feeling it all over again. His lass was gone, and he had no idea where that lunatic had taken her!  
  
He rolled over and buried his face in the pillows. He sniffed; they smelled like her perfume, all light and flowery. He remembered how he had surprised her with a new bottle of perfume every four or five months when they had traveled the world together. She had always gasped in delight before showering him with 'thank you' hugs and kisses. He smiled at the memories before a knock on the door shook him back to reality. He climbed out of bed and opened the door. It was Annamaria.  
  
She nodded her head. "Cap'n, the crew's returned from Tortuga. They're up on deck."  
  
Jack nodded once. "Good. Let's go."  
  
The two of them headed upstairs. Sure enough, the entire crew was there, but most of them looked a bit lost and nervous. Jack looked around at them all and they all shifted around on their feet in response.  
  
"Well?" Jack asked his crew. Several quiet seconds went by as he waited for a response. "I'm waiting!" he snapped, waving his hand at them.  
  
Mr. Gibbs stepped forward. "Well, ye see, cap'n, there're some people who've seen the land-lubing dog, but that was before last night. No one's seen him since then." He shifted on his feet.  
  
Jack knew there was more. "I'm hoping that ye can elaborate on that, Mr. Gibbs." The tone in his voice allowed no argument or denial.  
  
Mr. Gibbs nodded. "Aye, sir. Well, late yesterday afternoon, some sailors were returning to their ship from the Lame Dog tavern and they saw a rowboat with a man in it moving out of the harbor."  
  
Jack quirked an eyebrow in interest and leaned forward. "Aye? What else?"  
  
"Well, sir," Mr. Gibbs continued nervously. "It looks like he wasn't alone. The lads said that there was a bonny lass with him, but she looked asleep."  
  
Jack turned away from Mr. Gibbs and thought about that for a moment, gritting his teeth in anger. "So he knocked out me bonny lass, did he?" he said, thinking aloud. "I guess he knew that was the only way he could get her away from me and the ship." He turned back towards Mr. Gibbs. "Did they say which way he went?"  
  
Mr. Gibbs shook his head. "They didn't follow his movements too carefully, cap'n, but they did say that he headed out of the harbor and away from the town."  
  
Jack frowned. "Then the man could be on any of the dozen nearby islands!" Jack went over a map of the surrounding area in his head while Annamaria stepped forward.  
  
"Cap'n, are ye sure about that? He could have gone somewhere close by, maybe even stayed on this here island," she said. "The waters around here are a bit rough, and most normal men can't row that well alone."  
  
"Aye, but we aren't dealin' with a normal man, Annamaria," Jack said. He tapped the side of his head. "If ye can remember, Mr. Pierce is a few sips short of a full bottle. Madmen are known fer doing impossible things." The crew nodded. "Well, we'll just have to search all of the islands, then." He motioned to Mr. Gibbs. "Send a few men ashore and tell them to keep their eyes open incase Tommy-boy returns for some reason." Mr. Gibbs nodded. "Alright, let's get going! I want my lass back on this ship as soon as possible!"  
  
The crew immediately began racing around as Mr. Gibbs gave five men the order to go ashore and keep their eyes open. He also reminded them that they would need to stay sober for the whole time they were in town, but that they could get drunk and celebrate after the captain's bonny wife was back onboard. With those words said, the men went onshore, and the Black Pearl sailed out of Tortuga's harbor, dead set on finding Lara.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lara lay on her makeshift bed in the cave, listening to the waves as they crashed on the rocks outside. Thomas had been gone for a while, but she couldn't be sure how long. All she knew was that it was getting dark outside and there was no direct sunlight to keep track of time with this far back in the cave.  
  
She sighed and looked down at the things that Jack had given her over the past two years. There was the bracelet from their first adventure, and necklace that he had given her after 'kidnapping' her from Port Royal. There were also her engagement and wedding rings that Jack had given her after their wedding, since the Governor hadn't been able to find a suitable engagement ring or wedding bands in time for their hastily put together wedding. She now gave them a good look-over, like she always did when she was bored.  
  
The engagement ring was something Jack had picked out from the treasure pile that he'd taken from the Isle de Muerta. It was a small, beautiful white diamond set in gold, with two small pearls, one white and one black, on both sides. Jack had said that now he had two perfect pearls in his life: his lass, and his ship. She smiled at the memory; he had looked so happy when he'd said that. She also twisted her wedding band around her finger, looking at the gold band engraved with a vine design on it. Jack wore an identical one on his left hand. Both had a message on the inside: "Love eternal." The message brought a few tears to her eyes, though they were loving tears.  
  
The sound of footsteps pulled her out of her thoughts. She quickly hid her hand so that the sight of her wedding bands wouldn't anger Thomas; he was mad enough as it was. She turned towards him and saw that he had a large pile of wood in his arms.  
  
She quirked an eyebrow at the sight. "Why do you have so much wood, Thomas?" she asked.  
  
He smiled. "I wouldn't want your sickness to get worse, now, would I, my love?" he said, setting the wood down near the small fire that still burned. He put a few more logs on top and stirred it up to a small roaring blaze. He smiled even more as he looked at her. "That pirate doesn't know how to look after someone who is ill," he commented before going over to the pile of supplies. After rummaging around for a few moments, he returned with a pot full of dried meat and vegetables. "I think that this should make a fine soup for us, don't you?" he asked. He took the pot to the back of the cave and returned with it full of water.  
  
'Well, now I know where the water is,' Lara thought to herself. Out loud she asked, "Thomas, how did you get here from Port Royal?" She desperately wanted to know how the doctors had let such a madman out of their sights.  
  
He chuckled. "Oh, it was easy getting away from the doctors and nurses," he said, stirring the soup. "They always left me alone for hours at a time, so it wasn't hard sneaking out of the house."  
  
Lara frowned slightly. "But how did you get here from Port Royal? You couldn't have booked passage on a British naval ship, they'd never come near Tortuga."  
  
Thomas laughed. "No, they wouldn't. I actually stole a fair-sized boat from the harbor. People are far too trusting with their ships in Port Royal."  
  
"You have a boat?" Hope fluttered in Lara's chest before Thomas's next words killed it.  
  
"Had. I had a boat," Thomas replied. "I sold it for money to buy us supplies," he gestured towards the pile, "and to buy the small rowboat so that I could come and rescue you." He stirred the soup again. "Ah, all done!" He pulled the soup off of the fire and retrieved two bowls and spoons from the supply pile. After dishing up a bowl for Lara, he came over to her side, holding it in his hands as he sat next to her. As she raised her hands to take it, he pulled away. "No, beloved, I want to feed it to you."  
  
Lara mentally gagged at the idea. "It's alright, Thomas, I can feed myself." She reached for the bowl, only to have it taken further away.  
  
"Don't be silly," he gently chided her. He spooned up a bit and held it out for her to eat. She slightly cringed but opened her mouth. The last thing she needed was for Thomas to force-feed her.  
  
The next fifteen minutes were torture for her; she hated being hand-fed. The only time that it was somewhat bearable was when Jack did it; his hand movements were always fun to watch when he was tending her. When Thomas did it, it made Lara want to kick him into next week. Nonetheless, she put up with it until all of the soup was gone. As Thomas ate his own bowl of soup, Lara made a note of what she would tell Jack after he found her, just so that he could seriously wound Thomas for every thing he did to her.  
  
After he finished eating, Thomas washed the dishes, stirred the fire up again, then sat next to her. Lara moved away as far as she could without being offensive, cringing at the thought of Thomas snuggling up next to her. Only Jack could do that. Thomas reached out and took her hand in his and smiled before he caught sight of her wedding rings. His smile vanished and an angry scowl took its place.  
  
"What are these?!" he demanded, grabbing and waving her own hand in front of her face.  
  
Lara knew she had to tell him something. "Uh, pirate's treasure," she said. "Jack gave it to me as we traveled the world together." Well, it wasn't a complete lie; most of it was pirate's treasure, or at least bought with it. At least it was a half-truth; Lara knew she was a terrible liar, and the crew had always teased her about it.  
  
Thankfully, Thomas bought it. He smiled before releasing her hand. "They're very nice," he commented. "They'll fetch a good price in Tortuga when we sell them."  
  
Lara's heart stopped. "I can't get rid of them!" she cried, clutching her hand to her chest protectively. "They're mementos from my trips to Europe!" Another half-truth, but who cared? She couldn't give up the things that Jack had given her!  
  
Thomas frowned a bit. "Well, if they're mementos, I suppose you may keep them," he said before moving towards the cave's opening and looking out. He soon returned, carrying something in his arms, which he placed on a blanket across from Lara's. "It's night. Time for bed." He smiled over at her. "And don't think about escaping. I have the oars to the boat here under my blanket." He gave her one last smile before blanketing the fire and lying down in his bed. She soon heard snores coming from the opposite side of the cave.  
  
As she heard Thomas shift in his sleep, she silently prayed that Jack would somehow find her before it was too late.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Well, that was a long chapter! Well, longer than usual for me. Thomas sure has lost it, huh? But don't worry, Jack's on the move! He'll find his bonny lass, right? Right? Well, anyway, please leave a review! I'll love you forever if you do! 


	7. Illness, News, and Sightings

Disclaimer: Jack Sparrow is still on loan to Disney for Pirates part II, so he's not mine!  
  
AN: This is a special announcement. No, it's not bad. Well, not *really* bad. I'd like to tell everyone that this chapter may be the last one I update for a while. I might post one more chapter, but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, the reason I won't be updating is that mid-terms are coming up and, as a college student, I need to study, so I won't be able to update for at while. I hope you can all forgive me until mid-terms are over. Thanks!  
  
Chapter 7: Illness, News, and Sightings:  
  
Lara woke the next morning feeling like she was going to be sick. She immediately launched out of her bed and ran for the front of the cave. She'd barely made it there before she threw up all of last night's soup. She sat there retching for several moments before she finally felt human again. Cupping her hands, she splashed her face with cold sea water, then wiped her face on her sleeves. As she stood up and turned around, she walked straight into Thomas' chest. Closing her eyes, Lara tried to decide if she could make her way around the man. Unfortunately, Thomas had different ideas. She felt him caress her face.  
  
"You do not look well, beloved," he said, concern showing in his voice. He promptly swept her up in his arms and walked to the back of the cave, where he set Lara down on her blanket. "How long have you been ill, darling?" he asked.  
  
Lara really didn't want to answer him, but felt she had no choice. "I've been feeling sick for the past several days, Thomas," she replied, keeping her eyes closed. She then felt something cool pressed on her forehead. She cracked her eyes open and saw it was a piece of wet cloth. She then looked over at Thomas, who seemed to be upset.  
  
"That pirate has no concern for women!" Thomas said angrily. "He should have sent for a doctor at once when he found out you were ill!"  
  
Lara sighed. "Thomas, I started getting ill when we were at sea, and there aren't exactly doctors floating around in the middle of the ocean!" She winced as another wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.  
  
Thomas shook his head. "Well, I'm taking you into town to see a doctor, or at least a healing woman!" he said. Before she could blink, Lara found herself seated in a rowboat. After getting the oars from the cave, Thomas got in across from her and started rowing.  
  
It took several moments before she realized that they were headed towards civilization. Which town they were going to didn't matter, as long as it was a town! Maybe she could leave get a message to Jack!  
  
That was as far as her thoughts went before she found herself getting sick from the boat rocking and had to vomit over the side of the boat.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, though it was only an hour, Lara found herself on land. It took her several moments to regain her bearings and to take in her surroundings. After a brief look around, she blinked in shock.  
  
They were in Tortuga! They hadn't even left the island! However, after a better look around, the hope that had built up in her heart died.  
  
They were on the wrong side of town. The side that had the main harbor for large ships like the Pearl was on the right side of the island, while the smaller port was on the left side. Since they had a small boat, they'd had to go to the left side of the town. That meant no Jack and no crew to help her escape from Thomas. She was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she felt an iron grip on her arm and felt herself being pulled forward. She frowned at the treatment she was receiving.  
  
"Thomas, what are you doing?" she asked.  
  
"Taking you to an herbal woman," he replied, not looking at her. After several minutes of searching, Thomas apparently found what he was looking for and dragged her through a rather small and shabby doorway. Once inside, Lara got a good look around.  
  
The doorway led to what was actually a corner store to a much larger building. It was very cramped inside, and nearly every bit of free space was filled with dried herbs, flowers, and jars of preserved mushrooms and roots. Behind the counter was an elderly, friendly-looking woman who smiled at them as they walked up. She nodded at them.  
  
"Can I help you?" she asked, her voice motherly and kind. Lara felt herself relax at the sound of the woman's voice.  
  
"Yes, my fiancé has been having stomach trouble for several days," Thomas replied. Lara felt her insides twist at being called Thomas's fiancé, but didn't want to have him throw a fit in the middle of the shop.  
  
The old woman nodded. "Well, if it's been over three days that she's been ill, I'd better take a look at her." She motioned towards a door behind her that Lara had missed. As Thomas led Lara towards the door, the old woman stopped him. "Just the two of us, please," she said. "Why don't you go and explore the town for an hour or two?" Thomas frowned, but nodded and left Lara alone with the old woman. The woman took Lara gently by the hand and led her through the door and into another room.  
  
This room was the opposite of the front store. It was bare of everything except an examination table, two chairs, a small stand with a pitcher and a basin, and a window with shabby curtains around it. Lara looked worriedly at the window before the old woman laughed at her.  
  
"Don't worry, dearie, I won't ask you to undress," she said, chuckling. "You looked like you needed to get away from your fiancé." She motioned to the table. "Why don't you take a seat on the table? My name is Emma."  
  
Lara frowned. "He's not my fiancé," she murmured.  
  
Emma raised an eyebrow as she looked at Lara's left hand, eyeing the engagement and wedding rings. "Then what is he, dear?" She began going over Lara's body with a critical eye. "Is there something I should know about that young man?"  
  
Lara glared at her as she hid her hands. "He's just a pain in the ass, that's all. Now would you just get on with it?" she snapped.  
  
"Ah, feeling a bit touchy, are we?" Emma smirked. "Well, tell me what's going on with you."  
  
"I've been having trouble keeping food down for the past week or so," Lara replied. "I feel sort of bloated, and dizzy."  
  
"Hmm," Emma said, eyeing Lara's body again. "What about your monthly bleeding?"  
  
Lara blinked. "Well, my cycle has always been off. I can skip three months before it happens again. Why do you ask?" she said, tilting her head to the side.  
  
Emma just nodded. "That's what I thought," she commented, not hearing Lara's question. "That explains why you never expected it to happen. Now dear, I have to know if that man really is your fiancé or not, because he's going to want to know what's happening with you."  
  
Lara shifted uncomfortably. "I am married, just not to him," she said, gesturing towards the door. Emma waited for more and Lara sighed. "Well, let's just say that he isn't right in the head, and that he hates the idea that I'm married to someone else."  
  
Emma frowned slightly. "Exactly how long have you been with this 'fiancé' of yours?"  
  
"About a day or two," Lara replied, beginning to get frustrated with all of the questions.  
  
Emma nodded again. "Well, then, you might want to keep this information to yourself, because he's not going to like hearing that you're having your husband's baby."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Several seconds of silence followed the unexpected news.  
  
When she recovered, Lara's jaw dropped. "What?! That's impossible!" she cried.  
  
Emma quirked an eyebrow. "Why? It's perfectly obvious. You have all of the symptoms. You should be happy about this, but given the circumstances, I'd understand if you're not."  
  
Lara tried to absorb the information and think it out. Her monthly cycle had not happened for over three months, nearly four; but then, it had always been off. Sometimes she'd miss two or three months in a row, but it usually wasn't that alarming. Now that she thought about it, though, it made sense, her sickness overlapping with her missing monthly cycles. It was still shocking, though. She and Jack had been trying so hard to have a ship full of Sparrows, and now she was getting the joyous news at the worst possible time. Her eyes filled with tears; Jack should be here with her hearing the news, not just this herbal woman with Thomas very likely hovering outside the building. Lara sighed and rubbed her forehead.  
  
Emma patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, dear, I'm sure your husband will find you sooner or later," she said soothingly. "Why don't you tell me who it is, and I'll send a message to him for you?"  
  
Lara perked up at the idea, but then shook her head. "That's not a good idea," she said sadly. "If I get rescued after this meeting with you, Thomas will come after you for giving me away. I couldn't live with myself if harm came to you because of me."  
  
Emma smiled at her. "You have a good heart, lass," she said. "I just wish that there was some way I could help." She tilted her head. "Could you at least tell me his name, or what he does for a living?"  
  
Lara gave a small chuckle. "Let's just say he's in the 'trading' business," she replied.  
  
Emma laughed. "Ah, a pirate is it?" she said. "I could tell by the way you said it." She patted Lara's shoulder again. "Well, if any pirate comes around town looking for his lovely wife, I'll know who to talk to!" She gestured to the door. "We should leave before your 'fiancé' comes in and starts to tear apart my shop!"  
  
Lara reluctantly got to her feet and the two headed towards the door. They had barely left the back room before Thomas raced into the shop, concern written all over his face.  
  
"Is she alright? What's wrong with her?" he asked.  
  
Emma gave the man a smile. "The young lady is fine, sir," she replied soothingly. "She's just got a bit of stomach trouble, nothing to be concerned about." She reached behind the counter and began putting some herbs together in a small pouch. "She needs to have a few pinches of this mixed in with soup, three times a day for three days. After three days, she should be fine." She looked over at Lara. "Don't worry, dear, your 'stomach' should be fine, the herbs won't hurt it." From the way she said 'stomach,' Lara knew she was talking about the baby. Lara smiled at her. "Thanks so much for your help, Emma," she said. Emma handed her the medicine bag. The old woman winked at her as she and Thomas left the shop and went out into the street.  
  
"Well, beloved, it looks like we need to buy some soup ingredients," he said, leading her towards the right-hand side Tortuga. "I'm afraid I used up all of the soup mixture last night, so we'll have to get more."  
  
Lara perked up at the thought of going into town. "We're going into town?" she asked, trying to hide her excitement. If they headed into town, Jack might still be there!  
  
Thomas smiled. "Yes, beloved, we're going into town," he said, latching his hand onto her arm. "I think that it's safe to go there, especially now that the Black Pearl is gone."  
  
Lara's heart stopped. "The Pearl is gone?" she said, disbelievingly. Jack had left her here with this madman? "Are you sure?" she asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice as her eyes widened slightly in fear.  
  
Thomas smiled. "Isn't that wonderful?" he asked, not noticing her fearful reaction. "With that dog gone, it's just the two of us now," he said, dragging her into town.  
  
The next two hours were some of the most boring hours in Lara's life. Thomas dragged her from shop to shop, trying to find the best soup mix for her. If it had been Jack shopping for soup, Lara might have found it charming that he was so concerned with the soup's quality. However, after the third shop, Lara felt like she was going to beat Thomas senseless. She would have run off, but he kept a firm grip on her the whole time. Finally, at the sixth shop, Thomas bought some dried pasta and vegetable soup mix that he thought was good enough for her. She gave a quiet sigh of relief as they left the store and headed out into the street.  
  
As they walked down the center street, Lara felt someone bump into her. As she turned around to give the person a piece of her mind, she found herself face-to-face with Scar, a crew member of the Pearl. The only way she recognized Scar was from his namesake: a long scar that ran from his chin to the top of his head. He gave her a brief nod and smirk before slowly walking off.  
  
Thomas clutched her arm in a death grip. "Who was that?!" he hissed to her.  
  
Lara gave him a small fake smile to try and reassure him. "No one, he just bumped into me, that's all."  
  
Thomas searched her face, then appeared satisfied that she was telling the truth. "Alright," he said, loosening his grip on her arm.  
  
The two of them continued their walk down the street. Occasionally, Lara swore that she saw several members of the Pearl's crew. They would all turn and look at her before winking or smiling at her. She felt better knowing that some of her friends were there looking out for her.  
  
As she gave a few small hidden smiles and nods to her friends, she found herself being dragged towards the rowboat on the opposite side of town. It wasn't long before the two of them were rowing away from the shoreline and back towards the cave. Lara wasn't worried, though, because as the two of them rowed out of sight of the town, she saw Scar standing on the dock, watching them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Yes, there is hope! Plus, Jack is going to be in the next chapter! Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! 


	8. Hope

Disclaimer: Jack Sparrow is still on loan to Disney for Pirates part II, so he's not mine!  
  
AN: Yes, I'm using my precious spare time to write up another chapter! I hope that people enjoy reading it, because it's the last one you'll see for another week or two. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 8: Hope:  
  
Three days had passed since the day that Lara had seen Scar in Tortuga, and she was beginning to lose hope of seeing Jack again. She had taken all of the medicine that Emma had given her, and her morning sickness had subsided into something that Thomas thought was a mild case of the flu. Lara was glad that he thought she was just sick and not pregnant. She was afraid that he might try and do something horrible if he found out that she was having Jack's baby.  
  
She sighed as she looked out of the opening of the cave. The sky was so blue, and the water was crystal clear. She wished that she were on the Pearl with Jack's arms around her. She wanted to tell him about the baby and to see his reaction. Now she wondered if their baby would ever live long enough to know who his father was after Thomas found out about it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack slammed his fist on his desk, growling in frustration. They had been searching for over three days, and nothing had turned up. They had searched almost all of the islands around Tortuga, and none of the inhabitants had seen anyone matching Lara or Thomas's description. He quickly scanned the map in front of him, wondering if he had missed an island, but he hadn't. Now time was running out. How was his bonny wife doing with that madman? Was she unharmed? Had that red-coat tried anything with her?  
  
Jack buried his face in his hands. He hadn't felt this upset since his wife had gotten lost in a market place in Spain. He remembered searching frantically for her and, after hours of threatening to hang the crew if they didn't find her, she had finally showed up with Mr. Cotton's parrot on her shoulder and a smile on her face. Jack hadn't even noticed the blasted bird was missing until that moment. After she had come aboard, Jack had taken the parrot off of her shoulder, returned it to Mr. Cotton, then dragged his wife down below for a good scolding (which had quickly turned into something else entirely).  
  
A tap on the door dragged him out of his thoughts.  
  
"Aye, what is it?" he snapped. The door opened and Annamaria peeked in.  
  
"Uh, cap'n?" she said. "The crew's returned from the last island. They've found nothing helpful. Where do we head to next?"  
  
Jack leaned back in his chair and sighed. "We head back to Tortuga," he replied, staring blankly at the map. "Maybe the crew members Mr. Gibbs left there hav' found something."  
  
Annamaria nodded. "Aye, sir, I'll have the crew ready the ship." She hesitated before entering the room and walking up behind Jack. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, cap'n, yer lass is a tough one. She's a survivor, and she won't let that scurvy dog do anything to her." She patted his shoulder before leaving, shutting the door behind her.  
  
Jack sat and stared at the map in front of him. "I hope yer right, Annamaria," he whispered. "If yer not, Mr. Pierce is goin' te have a lot to answer for."  
  
With that last thought, he stood up and headed on deck, intent on finding his wife.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
In Tortuga, Scar was pacing the docks impatiently. He had just met with the other members left ashore, and they had discussed what they had seen since three days before.  
  
The day that they had all spotted Lara, they had all agreed that the Captain's wife was fine, but had looked a bit sickly. Prickly, another crew member, had seen them coming out of a couple shops. After questioning the owners, he'd discovered that they were there looking for a soup mix. The crew had spread out and questioned the other shopkeepers, and had regrouped later, comparing notes. They'd all had a good laugh at the discovery of Mr. Pierce looking all over town for a good soup mix.  
  
The day after, they had questioned all of the doctors in that part of town to see if they had seen anyone matching Lara's description. None had. The day after that, they searched out the herbal women for the same reason, and nothing had turned up. They were quickly losing hope. Prickly had said that they had better start praying if they didn't have anything to tell the Captain when he came back. As the biggest crewman in the group, Scar had told the others to keep their eyes open and search the town. That had been the third day.  
  
Now it was the dawning of the fourth day. Scar was beginning to get angry. He liked Lady Sparrow, as the crew lovingly called her. She was kind to everyone, and had endless patience with the crew. She laughed at their jokes, pitched in with the work, and always kept the crew from doing anything stupid after they had gotten drunk. Despite all that, she still had a ladylike air about her, and that made the crew like, respect, and admire her. It took a strong woman to be married to a pirate, and an even stronger one to stay married to Captain Jack Sparrow and be liked by his ragtag crew.  
  
Lady Sparrow had also been the first person to smile at Scar after he had been taken onboard the Pearl over a year ago. He was a big man, and the scar on his face had made the rest of the crew hesitant to befriend him. He had been surprised when the Captain's bonny wife had come up to him and smiled before offering to show him where he would be staying and what he would be doing onboard. He had followed her around, learning about the ship and what his jobs would be. The biggest shock was when she had called the crew together and introduced all of them to him. After that, Scar had been accepted by the crew and life had been good. Scar owed a great deal to Lady Sparrow, and he'd kill that lunatic if he had hurt her.  
  
Scar absently rubbed the scar on his face that had become his namesake. It occasionally itched or ached when he was angry or upset. Now it was driving him mad. He turned around to head back into town when he saw a woman coming out of a small, crusty door with a bundle of herbs under her arms. Curious, he watched the woman walk away as he walked up to the door and stepped in.  
  
It was packed full of herbs and jars of things he couldn't identify. There was a small old woman behind the counter. She looked up at him and gulped in fear.  
  
"C-can I help you?" she timidly asked.  
  
Scar inwardly sighed. His size always put people off. "My scar itches. Have ye got anythin' fer it, madam?" he asked politely. Lady Sparrow had told him to be nice to people who were afraid of him, especially women. She had said that if he were polite, people would react differently to him.  
  
She was right. The little old woman did a double take before reaching under the counter and pulling out a small jar. She placed it in front of him.  
  
"Here you are," she said, giving him a small smile. "It should help. It's got some powerful medicine in it, so don't use more than a dab on your scar."  
  
Scar nodded. "Thanks," he said. "How much for the jar, madam?"  
  
The old woman smiled kindly at him. "Oh, for a polite pirate like you, about three gold pieces."  
  
Scar inwardly winced, but knew it actually was a bargain. He gave her the coins, then rubbed a bit on his scar. The pain vanished. He blinked in surprise, then grinned at the old woman, who grinned back.  
  
"Nice, isn't it?" she asked. She cocked her head in curiosity. "I have to ask you, how did a big man like you learn such nice manners?"  
  
Scar chuckled. "A lovely lady taught me," he replied. "Me Captain's wife taught us how te act nicely." He frowned. "Pity she's missing," he muttered.  
  
The woman jerked at his words. "Missing? What do you mean she's missing?" she asked, staring at him intently.  
  
Scar looked over at her, debating whether to tell her or not. If he told her, she might be able to keep an eye out for the Lady Sparrow. "Well, the Captain's bonny wife got snatched from our ship over four days ago, and we don't know where she is. We've been looking for her since then, but haven't found anything, except for when she was here about three days ago."  
  
The woman's eyes widened. "Three days ago? Does she have long, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and have a Spanish look to her?" she asked.  
  
Now it was Scar's turn to jerk in surprise. "You've seen her? Where? Was she here?" he asked, frantic for any news for his friend.  
  
The woman nodded. "Yes, she was here. She was feeling a bit under the weather, so I gave her some herbs to take in soup." She seemed to hesitate to say more.  
  
Scar frowned. "Are you not telling me something?" he asked, leaning over the counter.  
  
The woman swallowed hard. "No. Well, not really. There's something you should know, but only she can tell you. It's not my place." She backed away from him.  
  
Scar leaned forward even more, towering over the woman's small form, even over the counter. "Madam, this woman is very important to my Captain and the crew. You don't want to anger the crew of the Black Pearl, now, do you?"  
  
The woman looked like she was about to faint. "The Black Pearl? You mean she's the wife of Captain Jack Sparrow?" Scar nodded. She swallowed even harder. "Well, she's being held by some sort of man who claims to be her fiancé," she babbled. "She didn't look hurt or seemed harmed in any way, but she's with child, so-"  
  
Scar's eyes widened. "She's with child?" he asked. "Are you sure?" The woman nodded frantically. Scar mulled that over before reaching into his belt. The woman backed away in fear before Scar dumped four gold coins on the desk. "This is for the information you've given," he said. "You don't know how much this means to us." He took the medicine and left the store, leaving the old woman behind.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Emma stared after the man for a few moments before looking at the coins he had left. She didn't feel right about accepting the money, especially when she hadn't told him much in the first place. She only hoped that she would be able to do something more for that poor woman someday.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Short chapter, but that's all I can squeeze out from my brain while panicking about mid-terms. As soon as mid-terms are over, I'll update. Please review and make me happy while I study! Thanks! 


	9. Return to Tortuga and New Information

Disclaimer: Jack is still with Disney, filming Pirates II, so he's not mine until he's done.  
  
AN: Mid-terms are still going on, so I'm doing this in-between studying, eating, and sleeping. Someone thinks that the reason I haven't been updating is because I want more reviews. That's not true. I'm not doing this to simply boost my ego, but because I really do have to study, and graduating from college is very important.  
  
Anyway, with that said, here is the next chapter:  
  
Chapter 9: Return to Tortuga, and New Information:  
  
It was now dawning on the eighth day since Thomas had kidnapped Lara from the Black Pearl, and Jack felt like killing something. Eight days since his wife had been in his arms and at his side, sharing adventures and laughter with him. Now Jack and his crew were nearing Tortuga to see if the left-behind crew members had found out anything since the Pearl had left almost a week ago.  
  
Sighing, Jack turned to the only thing that could now comfort him by reaching for the nearest liquor bottle.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The crew of the Pearl was clearly worried about Jack. Their Captain had grown pale and thin in his wife's absence, and had fallen back to drinking at least four bottles of rum a day to ease his pain, which obviously wasn't working. He would spend hours alone in his quarters, pouring over maps of the nearest islands the same way he poured out his rum. Annamaria had tried talking some sense into him, but Jack would just motion for her to leave him alone. The crew instantly made a secret pact that, if there was anything left after the Captain got through with Thomas, they would deliver the cruelest torture they could think of to the man who dared kidnap the wife of Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lara was absolutely sure that she was going to kill Thomas the next chance she got. The bloody bastard had kept her confined to the cave since their last trip into Tortuga, and she was sure that if she didn't get out and do something to ease her boredom (and hopefully get a message to Jack), she was going to go mad. Also, she needed to get some exercise to keep herself and the baby healthy.  
  
It had been over eight days since her kidnapping and nearly a week since she had found out about the baby. Thomas was convinced that Lara was still suffering from a case of the flu, even though she had stopped throwing up in the mornings, thanks to Emma's medicine. The only reason he was convinced she was still sick was because she was so fidgety from being confined to the cave, as well as having some serious mood swings, thanks to the pregnancy and Thomas's attempts to coddle her. He insisted on feeding her at every meal, and would sit next to her and stroke her hand, cooing at her. By now Lara was convinced that Thomas was never going to let her out of his sight, and that frightened her. What disturbed her most was that, at over three months of pregnancy, her stomach was starting to grow larger, clearly showing her state. She had taken to covering it up by making her shirt hang over the waistline of her pants a bit more, but she knew she couldn't do this forever. Her pants wouldn't fit her for much longer, and Thomas would soon find out about the baby. She desperately needed to get to Tortuga and find Scar and the other crew members in town before it was too late.  
  
Lara sighed, rubbing her belly and smiling sadly at it. Thomas was 'out' for the day getting food and wood, so it was safe to rub her stomach and talk to the baby. She'd started to do so two days ago, when her stomach had started expanding. She was so bored that she started singing to it and telling it stories about its father. Lara hoped that she had a boy; Jack would be thrilled to have a boy follow in his footsteps. If it was a girl, Lara would raise her to be independent, like her mother and her soon-to-be Aunt Elizabeth. For now, though, Lara desperately needed to stretch her legs and move them around.  
  
Suddenly, an idea hit her. Exercise, or lack of it, was the answer to her problem. She simply needed to convince Thomas that she needed exercise and sunshine to help with her 'illness.' She frowned, wondering how long it would take her to convince Thomas to take her out.  
  
"What are you frowning about, beloved?"  
  
Lara jumped in surprise, quickly covering her stomach with her shirt. She looked up to find Thomas at the entrance of the cave, pulling in the boat. "Oh, wait!" she cried, attracting Thomas's attention. He jerked up and looked at her.  
  
"Beloved, what's wrong?" he asked, clearly alarmed.  
  
Lara quickly decided to play on his concern for her. After all, he liked coddling her, so there was no reason for him to refuse her. She made tears well up in her eyes, which seemed to alarm Thomas even more. "I want to go outside," she said, making her voice tremble. "I want to go into town and look at the shops."  
  
Thomas blinked at her in surprise. "You want to go into town?" he asked. She nodded, tears still shining in her eyes. "Is that wise, beloved? You are still a bit ill, you know."  
  
She batted her eyes at him while looking up at him, pleadingly. "Please, Thomas? The sunshine will do me some good, don't you think?" she asked, smiling innocently at him. "And you can show me the town, if you like." That last comment made her feel ill inside, but it seemed to do the trick.  
  
Thomas's eyes brightened. "Of course, my dear!" he exclaimed. "We'll go tomorrow, since it is almost late afternoon and Tortuga isn't safe for a lady such as you after dark." He saw Lara pouting at him, and smiled. "I promise we'll go tomorrow, beloved," he said, stroking her cheek. "You go and rest while I organize the firewood and supplies and get ready for dinner." He pushed her towards her pallet.  
  
Lara reluctantly walked over to her bed and lay down. Now, however, hope stirred within her heart. She turned over, away from Thomas, and stroked her stomach. 'Soon we'll see your daddy, little one,' she thought to her child. As she began drifting off into sleep, she could have sworn her baby stirred inside of her, as though it were agreeing with her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was nightfall when the Black Pearl pulled into Tortuga. Jack stood at the bow of the ship, watching the docks as the Pearl pulled in. He should have been at the helm, but Annamaria and the crew didn't really think it was a good idea for him to be steering the ship in his present condition.  
  
Jack was drunk as a skunk, and he smelled like it, too.  
  
He hadn't bathed since his bonny wife had vanished, which was unusual, considering that cleanliness was as important to Jack as it was to Lara (which she considered vital on the Pearl). Also, he had just finished his fifth bottle of rum today, so it was fair to say that Jack was a bit incapable of directing his ship.  
  
After the Pearl had docked, Jack turned around, ready to yell for the crew to assemble, but discovered that they had already done so. His eyebrows quirked, but he decided to let it go.  
  
"Well," he said, sashaying drunkenly down the line of assembled crewmates. "We're back in Tortuga. I need ye to go into town and find our left behind crewmembers and bring them here." He now turned around and began swaying the other way. "After ye bring 'em back, we'll assemble down below in the galley to see what they know, savvy?"  
  
"Aye!" the crew shouted in response.  
  
"Good! Now go find 'em!" Jack said. The crew raced down the gangplank and into the town. Jack turned to go downstairs, but instead ran into Annamaria, who looked like she was going to slap him. "Yes, lass, what is it?" he asked.  
  
"Go to sleep, Jack," she said bluntly. "I'll keep an eye out for the crew's return, and I'll call ye when they all get back." She put her hand on her hips, signaling that she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.  
  
"Now, lass, it's not right for you to order the Captain around," Jack said, swaying towards her. Before he knew what was coming, he felt something hit him in the back of the head and he blacked out, falling face down onto the deck.  
  
Annamaria shook her head. "Thanks, Gibbs," she said to the elderly man.  
  
Mr. Gibbs nodded. "It's no problem, Anna," the man replied. "He hasn't slept in days anyway."  
  
The two sailors dragged their unconscious Captain into his quarters and placed him on the bed. It broke both their hearts when Jack stirred and started cuddling up to the pillows, smelling them like he was searching for something by scent. After shaking their heads in pity, the two crew members left their captain to his well-deserved rest and returned above. The two of them kept each other company as the night wore on and the crew trickled in throughout the night, one by one.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning, Jack woke feeling well-rested, but with an ache in his head. He reached back and felt a bump on the back of his head. He frowned; he'd have to speak to Annamaria about this after he found his bonny wife and kicked the tar out of Thomas Pierce. Sniffing the air, he turned and saw a platter of bread and bacon on his desk. He quickly wolfed down the food before heading to the galley. There he found the entire crew assembled and waiting for him. He nodded to everyone before taking the seat at the head of the long table. There was only one empty seat, the one on Jack's right; it was his wife's seat, and no one dared to take it in her place. There was an intense moment of silence as everyone stared at Lara's chair, no one making a single sound. Finally, Jack cleared his throat, and everyone turned towards him.  
  
"Well, what did ye find in Tortuga, lads?" he asked the crewmembers. Scar was the one the others nudged forward.  
  
"Well, Cap'n," he began. "We've managed to find out something useful. Yer lass is alive and well, even though she's being held by a madman." The other members of the crew breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"How do ye know she's alright?" Jack asked his crewman.  
  
Scar smiled at his captain. "We all saw her being dragged around town by that lunatic a day or so after the Pearl left, Cap'n," he replied. "It seems like he wanted the best soup mix in town for her cold, so he dragged her all over looking for it." Some of the crew snickered, but were silenced when they saw the angry look on Jack's face.  
  
'Buying soup for her is my job,' Jack thought. Out loud, he said, "Well, at least we know she's probably fine with that maniac," Jack said, anger laced in his voice. "I don't suppose ye know where to find her?" He was surprised when Scar nodded his head.  
  
"Aye, sir," Scar replied. "We've seen the lunatic around town, buying all sorts of supplies, enough to feed two people for a while, but just enough to fill a small rowboat. With a boat that heavily weighed down, the two still have to be on the island somewhere"  
  
Jack nodded his head. "Well, we'll start looking a bit later this afternoon," he said. "You never know, maybe old Tommy will show up here in town and we won't have to go looking for him after all!" The crew chuckled in response, glad to hear the Captain joke a little bit. "Well, I'm going ashore for some more rum and supply-buying. Gibbs, Annamaria, Scar, Mr. Cotton, I want ye with me. The rest of ye can scatter around town and keep an eye out for Thomas. Prickly, I want ye to stay here on the ship and keep watch." The crewmembers nodded. Jack stood up and led the way, his crew following faithfully behind him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Lara and Thomas were headed towards Tortuga and a confrontation none of them would soon forget.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Okay, not much happening, but there will be major ass-kicking in the next chapter! The poll for what's to happen is over. The results are a majority want violence, but no death. Some want Thomas to die, but they also want a fourth part to the series. However, almost everyone wants a part four, and I live to please my wonderful reviewers, so there will be a fourth part, no worries! But don't expect an update until late next week, though. Mid-terms will dominate my life until then, so to make me happy (and to help my muse be happy), please review! Thanks! 


	10. Findings, Torment, and Joy

Disclaimer: Jack is still with Disney, filming Pirates II, so he's not mine until he's done.  
  
AN: I hope that people have read chapter nine before reading this one! If not, you should go do that right now, or you won't get it. Also, so many people want Thomas to die, it's funny. But I have to remind everyone that, in order to have a fourth part to the series, Thomas has to live! So that's what will happen. Anyway, I've got something much worse for Thomas than a simple battle with Jack! What could torture the man more than a sword to the gut? Read and find out!  
  
Chapter 10: Findings, Torment, and Joy:  
  
Lara and Thomas finally pulled up to the same pier that they had docked at on their previous visit to Tortuga. After Thomas had tied up the boat, he and Lara headed towards the town's marketplace. As Thomas looked at a stall that had swords and knives for sale, Lara took a small look around. The stalls were all as shabby and dingy as the rest of the town, with prostitutes on every corner. Men were smoking their pipes and drinking their rum and alcohol like water, even though it was only just after noon. Still, the contents of the stalls were of a fairly good quality, considering most of it was probably stolen from other ships and sold by pirates to the stall owners. Lara was just glancing at a stall that sold silk scarves when she saw a familiar set of blue feathers out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turned her head and saw Mr. Cotton, complete with parrot, walking past her. Just ahead of him was the only person who could make her heart flutter with joy.  
  
It was Jack!  
  
Lara frantically blinked her eyes in hope that it wasn't a dream or an illusion, but when she finished, he was still walking by. She started squirming, which caught the attention of one of the other people walking with Jack. Scar, being a head and shoulder above everyone else, turned around and went wide-eyed when he saw her. He made as though to go to her, but Lara shook her head. She jerked her head towards Thomas, who was still admiring the knives and weapons. She was hoping that Scar would understand and not want to risk being seen walking over to her with Thomas being so close.  
  
She inwardly sighed with relief when he nodded briskly to her in understanding. Scar then motioned to her with his hands, making the sign that they were going for drinks and shopping. She then made an inconspicuous sign of understanding and watched him leave. Lara was extremely glad that Jack and the crew had taught her their "hand language" when she had first come aboard over two years ago. Jack had invented it so that they could communicate with each other if they were captured and needed to talk with one another without getting caught. It had come in handy over the years, but Lara couldn't think of a better situation to use it than now. From the signs that Scar had used, she knew exactly what the crew was doing and when. She continued to stare at them after they'd left the marketplace and walked out of sight.  
  
"What are you staring at, beloved," Thomas's voice snapped into her thoughts.  
  
She jerked in response. "Oh, nothing, I was just off in my own little world," she said, giving him an innocently fake smile. Thomas just nodded and began to look at another stall. Meanwhile, Lara went over what Scar had signaled to her in her mind.  
  
In the past, whenever the Pearl had needed supplies from Tortuga, Jack had always gone to one particular store, primarily because the owner owed Jack his life, and the life of his wife. Thanks to that life-debt, Jack was able to get the goods at a ridiculously low price. After saving a fair amount of money from shopping, Jack would always treat whoever had accompanied him to the shop to a round or two of drinks at the Fighting Dog tavern, which was Jack's favorite bar. Lara had always accompanied him on the shopping trips, so she knew the way to the shop and the Fighting Dog from nearly every single docking point in Tortuga. She knew exactly how long it would take for Jack to buy the goods and have a drink before heading back to the Pearl. Lara also knew that if she didn't get Thomas to the tavern before Jack left for the Pearl, she would never get rescued. Thomas did know what the Pearl looked like, after all, so there was no way she would be able to lead Thomas to the ship without rousing suspicion from him. She needed to get to the Fighting Dog within the next two hours, or it would be too late. The question was how she was she going to do it?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The crew of the Pearl had finally finished their shopping. It had taken longer this time because Annamaria had quite a fight with the wife of the owner over the price of the vegetables the crew would need, and Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Cotton, and Scar had to keep the two women from killing each other. Meanwhile, Jack and the shopkeeper himself were quite amused at the spectacle, and had traded smiles before going back to their bargaining. Finally, after about an hour, the crew left the shop and the goods were taken to the Pearl by the shopkeeper's workers. Now it was time for the reward for shopping with the Captain: drinks at the Fighting Dog, where the rum was supposed to be the best in town.  
  
In no time, the crew was seated at a table in a corner near the front door, mugs of rum in their hands, and platters of roasted meats and bowls of stew in between them. Jack felt that the four crewmembers deserved a good meal on solid ground today. After the last bit of food had been eaten, and the last drop of rum had been chugged down, Scar felt the need to speak up.  
  
"I saw Lady Sparrow today."  
  
Jack, who had been on his second mug of rum, spit out a mouthful of the stuff in surprise.  
  
"WHAT?!" he yelled, slamming his mug on the table. The rest of the tavern went quiet in response. Jack just waved his hand at the crowd, and the noise magically picked back up where it had left off. The whole crew leaned in closer for a group huddle.  
  
"What do ye mean ye saw her?" Annamaria asked, her voice tight with excitement.  
  
Scar frowned as he gripped his mug. "I saw her in the marketplace as we walked by," he said, licking his lips. "That maniac had her, so I couldn't get close without him realizing that I'd be heading for her. Besides, he saw me bump into her before, when the Cap'n left us in Tortuga the first time." He took a sip of rum.  
  
Jack was pale with anger and anticipation. "So ye saw her, then?" he asked. "Is she alright?"  
  
Scar nodded. "She's fine, Cap'n," he responded. "I signaled to her where we were going, and for what. I wouldn't be surprised if she led him here, making him think they were coming in for lunch and leaving with more than he bargained for." The crew smiled a bit in response.  
  
Jack frowned. "If she's leading him here, we've got to be ready," he said. "Let's keep to the shadows and see if we can't get my bonny wife away from him before he realizes what's happening. I want ye all separated and covering the entrance."  
  
The crewmen nodded before splitting up, all of them hiding in shadows by the front door while Jack remained right next to the door, but still covered in shadow. Jack thanked God for the poorly lit torches in the tavern which provided for the abundant shadows, then turned he turned his attention to the door.  
  
They didn't have to wait long before things got interesting.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It had taken Lara all of ten seconds to convince Thomas to go to the Fighting Dog tavern for a meal. After an hour or so of shopping, Lara had complained of hunger pains as they passed the front door of the tavern, and Thomas had led her straight inside.  
  
Chaos seemed to erupt the moment that they entered the bar.  
  
Before she knew what was happening, Lara felt arms grab her waist as a large figure came up next to them and grabbed Thomas's wrist, squeezing it until he relinquished his grip on her. Suddenly, Lara was pulled against a hard, yet soft, body a fair distance from Thomas, and Thomas was fighting with both hands, each hand holding a razor-sharp dagger that she hadn't noticed before. Now she knew why he had been looking at weapons all day. She watched the fight in fascination, ignoring the presence at her back.  
  
Thomas was trying to fight Annamaria, Scar, Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Cotton all at once. However, his was a losing battle; even though he had formerly been a member of the Royal Navy and was most likely an excellent swordsman, Thomas was not as good with his daggers as he was with a sword. As he attempted to fend off Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Cotton, who were better swordsmen than they looked, Scar and Annamaria came up behind him and both clubbed him on the back of the head with their sword hilts. Thomas dropped like a heavy stone at their feet. The Pearl's crewmen sighed in relief before looking down at him.  
  
Lara was panting from fright and disbelief before she was abruptly turned around by a pair of strong hands. She found herself looking into familiar deep brown eyes that held hope, fear, and love, all at the same time. The next thing she knew, Jack was frantically hugging her, stroking her hair, and whispering into her ear.  
  
"Luv, I'll never, ever let ye out of my sight again," he whispered. She began to cry into his shoulder as Jack caressed her hair and continued to whisper to her as he led her out of the tavern.  
  
As the two Sparrows left, the four crewmen of the Black Pearl realized that the tavern had gone quiet again. Annamaria turned around.  
  
"Go back to yer drinks, lads," she called. "It's just some idiot who shouldn't have stolen from Captain Sparrow." The tavern patrons shook their heads, knowing how dumb it was to steal from Captain Jack Sparrow, then returned to their drinks as the Pearl's crewmembers picked up Thomas's unconscious body and dragged him towards the Pearl's floating form in the harbor.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lara was still in a bit of shock as Jack hurried her into their cabin on the Pearl. He had picked her up in his arms and carried her all the way back to the ship, and now proceeded to lay her down on her side of their bed. She looked up at him and smiled when she saw the panicked look in his eyes.  
  
"Are ye alright, luv?" he asked her, holding her hand as he looked down at her. Before she answered, Jack began gathering and fluffing pillows and sticking them behind her head to try and make her more comfortable.  
  
"Jack, I'm fine!" she cried. She'd been pampered enough by Thomas in the cave. She began to gently slap his hands away from the pillows. "Really, Jack, I'm fine! You don't have to do this! I've had enough pampering from Thomas to last me the rest of my life!"  
  
Jack stopped grabbing and fluffing pillows and stared down at her. "Tommy- boy tried to pamper ye?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at her.  
  
"Well, he did try to feed me by hand and he spent several hours trying to find me a soup mix," she said, smirking up at him. "I tried resisting, but you know angering a madman isn't a good idea." She reached up and stroked his face before letting her hand trail down, stopping on a certain sensitive place on his neck.  
  
Jack's eyes glazed over as her hand touched and stopped on just the right place. The two proceeded to sit, there holding and touching each other, before a knock on the door broke the spell. Jack muttered several choice words before answering in a louder voice.  
  
"Who is it?" he growled, still holding onto his wife, who was trying hard not to chuckle.  
  
"Uh, it's Mr. Gibbs, Cap'n," came the reply.  
  
"Come in, Mr. Gibbs," Lara called as Jack frowned at her for letting Gibbs interrupt their special moments together. She simply smiled at him and they both released each other and sat up as Mr. Gibbs came in.  
  
"Well, Cap'n," the crewman started as soon as he came in and shut the door, "we've got the land-lubing scallywag in the brig. He shouldn't be waking up anytime soon, but each crewmember gave him a good kick somewhere just to be sure. He'll wake up sore all over tomorrow morning."  
  
"Thank you, Mr. Gibbs," Jack said stressfully, hoping that Gibbs would get the point and leave. Unfortunately, he didn't.  
  
"Yer welcome, Cap'n," the first mate said, smiling at Lara. "I hope that yer well, Lady Sparrow," he said. "Anna should be here soon with something to eat, seeing as ye missed lunch and all."  
  
Lara smiled. "That's wonderful, Mr. Gibbs, thank you." Mr. Gibbs nodded before he turned and left, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Now," Jack said, leaning towards her. "Where were we?" He leaned in for a kiss, but was interrupted by another knock on the door. "Bloody hell!" Jack exclaimed, sitting up. "Can't a man have a moment alone with his wife on this ship?!"  
  
A laugh came from both Lara and from the other side of the door, which quickly swung open. "Sorry, Cap'n," Annamaria said, walking over with a covered platter that smelled divine. "But yer wife needs something to eat before she gets sick, again." Annamaria smiled at Lara before turning and leaving, shutting the door behind her. Lara instantly leaned towards the food before Jack pushed her back onto the bed.  
  
"Now, lass," he chided her, "ye need to rest. It's been a hell of a day for ye, after all."  
  
Lara rolled her eyes. "Jack, I'm fine," she said, smiling. Now was a perfect opportunity. "Really, just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean that I'm dying or anything." She smirked and waited for his response.  
  
"Well, lass, ye have been ill, and-" he stopped mid-sentence before staring at her, eyes blinking in confusion. "What did ye say, luv?"  
  
"I'm having a baby," she said, smiling gently at him. She waited for the news to fully sink in.  
  
Jack continued to stare in surprise before scanning her body, his eyes finally landing on her stomach. He reached over and began to feel it over, discovering the small, hard bulge that he had though was extra weight. After gently stroking the bulge for a few moments, he looked into her eyes, his own shining with tears and disbelief. "We're having a baby?" he whispered to her.  
  
She nodded in reply. "In about five or six months," she whispered back, her hands on top of his on top of her belly. The two sat in silence, Jack absorbing the news and Lara waiting for more of a response. Finally, Jack grinned.  
  
"If it's a boy, he'll be the finest pirate in the entire Caribbean!" Jack exclaimed, his eyes flashing with fatherly pride. "I'll teach him everything I know!"  
  
Lara laughed. "And if it's a girl, Captain Sparrow?" she asked, hands on her hips.  
  
"Well, she'll still be the finest pirate in the Caribbean! After all, look at the father!" Jack stated, his chest puffing out.  
  
Lara laughed as she poked his stomach, causing him to deflate his ego, along with his chest. "Very funny, Jack," she said, smiling. "Now would you kindly hand me the tray? I'm famished, and I'm sure the baby would like something to eat, too."  
  
Jack's eyes widened at the thought of accidentally starving his wife and child. "Of course, luv!" he exclaimed, grabbing the tray and placing it on her lap and removing the lid. The platter was covered with roasted meats, cooked vegetables, and a few slices of bread. He watched as Lara steadily ate through the food, occasionally taking a few mouthfuls when she offered them to him. When the platter was empty, Jack tucked his lovely lass into bed for a quiet nap before heading above, a wide grin plastered on his face. As soon as he reached the deck, all of the crewmembers surrounded him, bombarding him with questions.  
  
"Alright, alright," Jack yelled, causing the crew to quiet down. "My bonny wife is fine, healthy, and perfectly safe, alright?" The crew nodded. "Also, I've got a special announcement." He grinned widely. "It looks like we're going to have an extra pair of hands on the Pearl."  
  
"Really?" Annamaria asked. "Who's joining us?"  
  
"A Sparrow," Jack said, grinning even more. "The lass and I are going to have our own little Sparrow come springtime!"  
  
There was a moment of shocked silence before the crew exploded in a roar of joy. As Mr. Gibbs and Scar brought up numerous kegs of ale for a celebration, the rest of the crew gathered around to congratulate the Captain. The remainder of the day was spent in drunken bliss for the crew as Jack went below to keep his lass company for the rest of the day and the night.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning was a quiet one. The crew was still sleeping off their hangovers, and Lara and Jack had stayed up all night discussing names for the baby. For a boy, Jack had wanted to name it after himself, but Lara didn't want two replies if she called for her son or her husband. In the end, Lara finally gave in and agreed to name the boy after her husband, since Jack was convinced that the baby was a boy. It was a long argument, and the two finally fell asleep at around two in the morning without even considering a name if it were a girl.  
  
At around noon, Lara was still asleep, and Jack was getting a bit restless, so he decided to go for a walk on deck. He passed Annamaria, who looked a bit pale, but fine nonetheless.  
  
"Where are ye off to, Cap'n?" she asked, rubbing her forehead and wincing, apparently still suffering a bit from her hangover.  
  
"Well, I thought I might take a walk around the ship, since my lass is still sleeping," Jack said. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "I think I'll go and have a chat with ole Tommy-boy." He instantly headed below deck to the brig, leaving Annamaria to deal with her hangover.  
  
Once he was outside of the door to the brig, Jack could hear Thomas talking to himself. He leaned closer to hear his words better.  
  
"They'll pay," Thomas was saying. "She's mine, and when she and I are wed, I'll see that the entire crew is hung while that captain watches!" He cackled like the madman he was. Jack decided to go in and burst Thomas's bubble.  
  
"Hello, Thomas," Jack said, strolling up to the cell the madman was in. "I hope that yer comfortable in there."  
  
Thomas looked up at him, pure hatred in his eyes. "How dare you do this to me?! It isn't enough that you took her from me once, but now you've separated us again by force! The Governor will have your head!"  
  
Now it was Jack's turn to laugh. "That's funny, I seem to remember the Governor being the reason Lara and I got married in the first place! She marries me, and Port Royal is somewhat safe from other pirates because of my 'claim' on it." Jack smirked. "It must be killing ye inside, knowing that Lara loves a pirate like me and not a soldier like you."  
  
Thomas gritted his teeth. "She does not love you, you filthy dog," he growled.  
  
"Aye, she does," said Jack, smirking at him through the bars. "She does love me. Remember when we kissed up on the fort before I left the first time?" Thomas grimaced. "Then, after the two of us got together and married, she loved me even more. You can't imagine the love that the two of us share, especially at night." Jack wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, clearly indicating what he meant.  
  
Thomas growled again. "When I get out of here, I'll run you through, you filthy pirate!"  
  
Jack grinned even wider. "Now, ye wouldn't want to hurt the father of Lara's child, now, would you? After all, the baby might look like a combination of the two of us." Jack rubbed his chin as he watched Thomas's reaction.  
  
Thomas was quiet for a brief moment before he attacked the bars. "You filthy dog! How dare you get her with child!" he roared. "That baby is supposed to be mine, mine, you no good, murdering thief!" He reached through the bars, hoping to get a hold of Jack.  
  
Jack chuckled as he stood just out of Thomas's reach, taunting him by letting Thomas's fingertips hover a bare inch away from him. "Now, that isn't the way to treat the Captain of the ship you're a prisoner on," he said, chastising Thomas.  
  
"Jack, what's going on down there?" Lara's soft voice reached him before she appeared in the doorframe. "What's everyone yelling about?" Her gaze flickered between the two men who appeared to be a bare inch from killing each other through the prison bars.  
  
"Beloved, tell me it isn't true!" Thomas growled through the bars, glaring at Jack. "Tell me you aren't having his child!"  
  
Lara sighed as she shook her head in pity. "It's true, Thomas," she said. She raised her shirt enough for him to see her growing stomach. "I'm over three months with child." She smiled and looked towards Jack as he put his arms around her. "If it's a boy, we'll name him Jack, after his father."  
  
"NO!" Thomas screamed, lunging through the bars, trying to reach her. "It's not true! It can't be true!"  
  
Lara sighed again. "It is true, Thomas, whether you want to admit it or not." She and Jack then turned and left Thomas to himself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As night fell on the Black Pearl, Jack and Lara stood at the bow of the ship, watching the moon rise and the stars appear, which was a tradition for the two of them. Jack held her close, stroking her stomach as she leaned back onto him, resting their heads against each other.  
  
"Jack, what are we going to do about Thomas?" Lara asked quietly, trying not to break the moment.  
  
Jack sighed as he continued to stroke her belly. "I was thinking of taking him to Port Royal and having the Commodore keep him locked up," he replied. He waited for her protest, thinking that she'd want a better sort of treatment for the madman.  
  
"That's a good idea," she said. She smiled at his grunt of amazement. "Commodore Norrington can keep a better eye on him than we can, and he could have the best doctors in the town to help treat him."  
  
"You're alright with this, luv?" Jack asked, surprise in his voice. She nodded at him. "Alright then, we'll head to Port Royal!" He turned to go to the helm, but saw Annamaria there instead.  
  
"No worries, Cap'n," she called, grinning. "I can steer us to Port Royal! You stay with your lass and our future captain!" She and Lara laughed at the last remark.  
  
Jack muttered a few odd phrases under his breath before resting his head on her shoulder, enjoying the night with the person he loved most.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Okay, no blood or gore, but it still some good revenge stuff, huh? I might have a fight scene in the next chapter, but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, there are one or two more chapters left, and that's it for this story! But don't expect anything up too soon after this chapter. My professors have decided to up the homework load, so it might take a while. Hope you enjoyed the long chapter, and please review! 


	11. Port Royal

Disclaimer: Jack is still with Disney, filming Pirates II, so he's not mine until he's done.  
  
AN: Okay, I might have miscounted. There are now two chapters left after this one, if you count an epilogue as a chapter. Then it's off to part four, people! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!  
  
Chapter 11: Port Royal:  
  
It took them about a week to get to Port Royal. It was noon when they sailed to the back of the island, and Jack had the crew ready two rowboats: one for him and Lara, and one for Thomas and his guards. Jack was not taking any chances of Thomas kidnapping his wife again from right under his nose.  
  
After making sure that Thomas was securely clapped in irons, and with four of the strongest crewmembers to guard him, the seven of them set off towards the shore. When the two boats finally ran aground, Scar had to physically drag Thomas out of the boat and then lug him the whole journey to the edge of town. By the time they got to the Governor's house, it was after dark.  
  
When they arrived at the front gate of the mansion, there were two guards, fully armed, guarding the gate. Jack nudged Lara, signaling that she should handle this. Lara simply sighed, nodded, and led the way up towards the front gate. The guards noticed Lara and her group approaching and quickly snapped their rifles down to point at them.  
  
"Halt!" demanded an officer. "Who goes there?"  
  
Lara blinked at the guard; he sounded familiar. "Franklin, is that you?" she asked, squinting at the guard.  
  
The guard jerked in surprise. "Lara? What are you doing here?"  
  
Lara relaxed a bit. "Oh, I just nearby and I came to see how everyone was doing here in Port Royal," she told her friend. Franklin had always been a guard of the Governor and a close friend to her.  
  
He smiled at her, lowering his weapon before motioning for his fellow soldier to do the same. "Well, how are you? You certainly look well. What have you been up to for the past two years?"  
  
Lara smiled back at him. "Oh, you know, traveling here and there," she replied. She motioned towards Jack and the Pearl's crewmembers. "I really need to see the Governor and Commodore Norrington about something important. Are they here? If not, do you know where I could find them?"  
  
Franklin nodded. "Yes, they're here. The Governor invited the Commodore and the Turner family over for dinner tonight. Should I announce you and your friends?"  
  
"No, that's alright," Lara said, waving him to stay put. "We'll just go right in." Franklin nodded as she motioned for Jack and her friends to follow her.  
  
Jack came up beside her. "That was close, luv," he whispered. "I thought I'd have to shoot them so we could get in!"  
  
Lara chuckled softly. "I'm just lucky that I knew one of the guards," she whispered back. "Also, we're lucky that it's really dark out here so that they couldn't see that we're pirates, or see the crewmembers holding Thomas."  
  
Jack nodded. "Well, we would have been able to take 'em if ye couldn't get us in."  
  
Lara just chuckled again as she led them up to the front door and knocked. The butler, Warren, opened the door and gawked.  
  
"Miss Lara?" he asked in surprise. "What are you doing here? And who are these people?"  
  
"Warren, I really must speak with the Governor and Commodore at once, it's very important," she said.  
  
The butler hesitated for a moment before nodding and allowing them inside. His eyes nearly fell out of his head when he saw that they were mostly pirates, but he managed to regain his composure. "Please wait here while I announce your presence." He quickly walked off towards the parlor door. Lara could hear Billy and Elizabeth laughing at something before her eyes clouded over with unshed tears. She had greatly missed her friends and her little 'nephew.' After a moment of waiting, Lara felt something collide with her legs.  
  
"Lara!" cried a small voice. Billy wrapped his small arms around her legs and smiled, his white baby teeth showing.  
  
Lara chuckled as she swept the small boy up in her arms. "Hello, little lad!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "How are you?"  
  
"Fine," Billy replied. He looked around and spotted Jack. "Jack!" he cried, reaching out for the pirate.  
  
Jack laughed and reached for the little boy. "Hello, Billy-Boy!" he said, taking the boy from Lara. "Did ye miss me?"  
  
Billy nodded. "Will you pway wiff me?"  
  
"He'd better not," Thomas replied from his post between Scar and Prickly. "That pirate might just drop the boy on his head, being the clumsy man that he is." He winced when his guards squeezed his arms in a silent threat.  
  
Billy frowned at the man before looking questioningly up at his 'aunt' and 'uncle.' Jack just smiled at him. "Don't pay attention to him, lad," he said, bouncing the boy in his arms. "He's just a very sick, very bad man." Billy nodded at him.  
  
"Lara! Jack!" exclaimed several voices. Elizabeth, Will, Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington came into the room. Elizabeth grabbed Jack, complete with Billy, in a hug as Will came over and hugged Lara. The Governor waited until Will had released Lara before hugging her as well. The Commodore simply looked on coldly.  
  
"Lara, my dear, you look wonderful!" the Governor exclaimed. "Pirate life agrees with you, it seems."  
  
Lara chuckled. "I never thought that those words would come from you, sir."  
  
"Yes, well, times change," the Governor said, smiling at her. He turned around and saw the four crewmembers of the Pearl holding Thomas between them. His eyes widened in surprise. "Thomas Pierce! What have you been doing this past month after your escape from your doctors?" Will and Elizabeth also turned around and frowned at the prisoner.  
  
"Yes, Thomas," Elizabeth said, her voice tight with suspicion. "What have you been doing?"  
  
"Kidnapping my wife and holding her prisoner, that's what," Jack said, anger lacing his voice as he held Billy further away from the madman. The Turners, Governor Swann, and the Commodore all stared at him.  
  
"What?" Governor Swann asked in shock. "That's impossible! Mr. Pierce is not that sort of man!"  
  
Lara nodded her head. "It's true, sir," she said. "He kidnapped me from the Black Pearl and kept me in a cave for eight long days before Jack and his crewmembers were able to rescue me."  
  
Norrington shook his head. "Mr. Pierce, I'm very disappointed in you," he said, coldly looking down at the prisoner. "I would have returned you to your place in the Navy had you recovered, but now I'm afraid that will never happen."  
  
Thomas stared at his former commander in disbelief. "Sir, you can't do that! I was only doing what was right! I had to take her away from that horrible life!"  
  
"Kidnapping a woman whose marriage is the only thing keeping pirates from attacking Port Royal is hardly an appropriate act, Mr. Pierce," Norrington said, frost practically forming on his words; they were that cold. He turned towards Thomas's guards. "If you four would be so kind as to accompany me to the prison with Mr. Pierce, I would be very grateful." The four pirates looked at him with suspicion. Norrington sighed. "You have my word that you will not join him in the jail cells." The four pirates nodded. Commodore Norrington then proceeded to lead them out of the mansion and towards the town jail. The Sparrows, Turners, and Governor Swann watched them leave.  
  
"Sir, is it wise to let my four crewmen follow the Commodore to the prison?" Jack asked the Governor. "He might 'accidentally' toss them in with Thomas, and if that happens, I can't be responsible for Thomas's untimely death if that happens."  
  
The Governor shook his head. "No need to worry, Captain," he replied. "Unlike Thomas, the Commodore is not willing to risk the safety of the town just to put away a few pirates from your crew." Jack just nodded.  
  
"Well, why don't we go to the parlor and talk about what's happened over the past few months since we've seen each other?" said Elizabeth, motioning towards the parlor.  
  
A few moments later, they were all comfortably situated in the Governor's parlor with cups of tea in their hands. Jack didn't look happy about having to drink tea, but he would put up with it, especially since Billy was sitting between him and Lara on the couch. Occasionally, Lara would hand Billy a small cookie, or let him drink from her cup. Elizabeth couldn't help but notice.  
  
"Lara, you are so good with Billy," she said, setting aside her empty tea cup. "I can't wait for you to have your own children!"  
  
Jack and Lara exchanged a smile. "Well, lass," said Jack, "ye should be happy to know that ye only have to wait until spring before that happens." Elizabeth, Will, and the Governor froze.  
  
"What did you say?" Will said.  
  
Jack switched places with Billy so that he would be sitting next to his wife. He instantly put his arms around her and smiled. "In six months, the lass and I are going to have our own little Sparrow," he said.  
  
A quiet moment of shock passed before everyone was congratulating them on the new baby, and Billy was jumping around because his parents, Uncle Jack, Aunt Lara, and Grandfather were so happy. After everyone had settled down, Jack and Lara told of what had happened over the past few days, from Lara's kidnapping to her rescue in a Tortuga tavern.  
  
Will chuckled. "Its funny how all of our adventures usually end up with us going back to Tortuga, isn't it?" Everyone else chuckled as well.  
  
"That it is, lad," Jack said, his arms wrapped around his wife, who was leaning comfortably into his shoulder.  
  
"Well, it's late, and we should all be heading to bed," said Elizabeth, who was holding a yawning Billy in her arms. Everyone else nodded and stood up. "Jack, Lara, why don't you stay with us?"  
  
"I'd love to, Lizzie, but I doubt that you have enough room to put us up as well as our four crewmembers," Lara said, smiling.  
  
"I wouldn't worry too much, luv," Jack said. "They've probably found the nearest tavern by now and will be nice and cozy in an inn by midnight." He grinned at his wife's confused face. "I gave them enough money on the ship for them to do that, luv, no worries. They've all promised to be good while in town." Lara smiled and nodded before taking his hand and following the Turners to their home for the night.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Short chapter, I know, but the next one will be good, I promise! After that one comes the epilogue and then it's off to the fourth part of the series! Anyway, please leave a review! It makes me so happy during my homework moments! 


	12. Decisions

Disclaimer: Jack is still with Disney, filming Pirates II, so he's not mine until he's done.  
  
AN: This is pretty much the last official chapter of this story. Next is the epilogue, then it's off to part four! Hope that you enjoy the chapter!  
  
Chapter 12: Decisions:  
  
After a restful night at the Turner house, Jack woke first the next morning, blinking the morning sunshine out of his eyes. After he felt thoroughly awake, he turned over to inspect his sleeping wife. He had never told her this, but every night and every morning he would wake up before she did, just to make sure that she was there and hadn't been kidnapped again. He also never wanted to admit that he, the great Captain Jack Sparrow, had been scared witless when his bonny wife had vanished on him. He never wanted to feel that way again. Maybe he should handcuff her to him, just to keep her close by.  
  
His thoughts were cut short when the door suddenly opened and there was the sudden impact of Billy hitting the center of their bed.  
  
"Oof," Jack gasped as Billy hit the sheets, giggling.  
  
"What on earth?" asked Lara, who had woken to the sudden impact on the bed, and had sat up in bed, sleepily rubbing her eyes. After she felt a bit more aware of her surroundings, she took a look at the bed and saw Jack and Billy grinning at her. She smiled in return. "Good morning, lad!" she exclaimed, picking Billy up and giving him a small kiss on the cheek. Billy giggled at his aunt as he wrapped her in a tight hug.  
  
"Wait, don't I get a 'good morning' kiss?" Jack asked, putting on a pout.  
  
Lara laughed at him. "Only if you're good," she said, putting Billy down on the floor. She gave the boy a pat on the rump. "Off with you now, go find your mum and dad," she said to the boy. Billy grinned and raced out the door, closing it behind him. The minute the door clicked shut, Jack pounced on his wife. Lara looked up at him in surprise.  
  
"Now, lass," he whispered to her, "about that kiss."  
  
Lara grinned up at him. "I said only if you were good," she whispered back.  
  
Jack gave her an evil grin. "And if I've been bad?" he asked. Before she could reply, Jack had her in a loving, passionate kiss. The two remained that way for a while, until a knock on the door interrupted them.  
  
"Jack, Lara, are you awake?" Will's voice called to them through the door. "Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes!"  
  
"Thank you, Will!" Lara called through the door. She heard footsteps retreat from the door and head down the hallway.  
  
Jack growled several curses as he pulled away from his wife. "I wish people would stop interrupting us when we start getting comfortable!"  
  
Lara simply laughed at him. "It'll be worse when we have the baby, Jack," she said, caressing his face.  
  
"True, lass, but we'll have the entire crew to help with the lad," Jack said, smirking down at his wife as he got up and started dressing.  
  
Lara simply shook her head at him. She knew Jack wanted a son, but she personally wanted a little girl of her own. Oh, well, either way, as long as the child was healthy, it didn't matter. They could always try again later.  
  
After the two of them had dressed, they headed downstairs to the dinner table for breakfast. Elizabeth was helping Billy to eat small bits of muffin by himself, and Will was serving up the last scraps of bacon onto a plate in the center of the table, which also held a basket of muffins, a plate of sausages, and a tea tray. A few moments later, they were all happily digging into their breakfasts. After several moments of silence, Lara knew something was wrong, considering they were usually in the middle of a good breakfast chat by that time. She looked around at Will and Elizabeth and noticed them exchange a glance.  
  
Sighing, Lara put her fork down on her plate. "Alright, you two," she said. "What's wrong? You're only this quiet when something's wrong, so spit it out already."  
  
The two Turners exchanged another glance before Will spoke up. "Lara, Commodore Norrington and Governor Swann are currently at a loss of what to do with Thomas. They have decided that he is insane, but there really isn't any secure place to put him in Port Royal." Lara had paled at his words while Jack frowned.  
  
"So what are they going to do with him?" Jack asked, putting his arms around his wife. "Are they going to put him in the jail?"  
  
Will shook his head. "The jail has only two cells, and those are needed for prisoners," he replied. "They don't know what to do with him."  
  
Lara sat there thinking for several moments. "What about his home? Could they turn his home into a sort of asylum for him? They could put bars on his windows and doors, and have guards to stay with him." Everyone looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Lara, are you sure that's what you want?" Elizabeth asked. "You usually oppose imprisoning people."  
  
Lara nodded. "It would be best. I can't have Thomas breaking loose and coming after the Pearl, especially when Jack and I have the baby. I won't risk my child's life."  
  
Will smiled at her. "We understand. I'll make the bars myself so that he won't be able to get out unescorted."  
  
Everyone nodded in agreement before turning the conversation to something more pleasant.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Later that day, Lara decided to visit Thomas in the prison. She knew that she shouldn't, it might seem like she cared about him, but she still somewhat pitied the man. As she walked towards the jail, she rubbed her stomach and thought about her baby, and where she would be when she had it. She didn't think that Jack would want to settle down for the next six months, but she didn't want to give birth to the baby onboard the Pearl; it didn't seem right for the crew to be hearing her scream in pain as she gave birth. She could only imagine Mr. Gibbs' reaction to that! As she walked, she didn't realize that she was being followed until she felt a tap on the shoulder. Gasping in surprise, Lara whirled around.  
  
"Jack!" she said, grasping her chest. "You scared me! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Just wanted to see where you were going, luv," he said, scanning her up and down, obviously checking her health. "How are ye feeling?"  
  
Lara smiled up at her husband as he put his arms around her. "I'm fine," she replied. "I'm going to visit Thomas." She saw Jack frown at her. "I need to tell him that he's being shut up in his own house once again. A stranger shouldn't do it, it's not right."  
  
Jack nodded. "I agree, luv," he said. Jack then started guiding her towards the prison. They both nodded at the guard at the door, who let them in unquestioned, and headed down towards the cells, easily finding Thomas, considering that he was the only one currently imprisoned. As they walked up to his cell, Thomas rushed at the bars, sticking his hands through them and reaching for Jack, who kept Lara behind him and out of view.  
  
"You filthy pirate scum!" he yelled. "How dare you come in here?!"  
  
"Now, lad, that's not a nice thing to say in front of a lady," Jack chided him. Only then did Thomas notice Lara's presence, his gaze softening at the sight of her.  
  
"Beloved, how are you and the baby doing?" he asked, genuinely concerned. He smirked when he saw Jack frown at him.  
  
Lara sighed. "I'm fine, Thomas," she said. "And so is the baby. Jack is going to be a wonderful father."  
  
Thomas frowned at that last part. "I won't have a pirate raise that child, darling," he said.  
  
"This baby is going to be raised by its natural father, Thomas," Lara said bluntly, wanting to make things clear. She definitely didn't want this madman to think himself the father of her and Jack's child.  
  
"Aye, and it'll be the finest pirate in the Caribbean!" exclaimed Jack, who grinned and wrapped his arms around his wife.  
  
Thomas gritted his teeth. "Beloved, please, I would be a much better father to the child than that pirate dog!"  
  
Lara began rubbing her head, since it began aching. "Thomas, you know that the answer is no," she said. "Also, since the Commodore and Governor are unable to keep you here in the prison, they are going to have you hospitalized and kept in your own home. Will Turner will make the bars that will be put over your doors and windows."  
  
Thomas's face froze. "You can't do this!" he yelled. "There's nothing wrong with me! You can't lock me up!"  
  
"Luv, I think it's time to go," Jack whispered to his wife. Lara nodded and the two of them left, though Thomas's mad screaming followed them out.  
  
The two found themselves walking along the beach, holding each other's hand and enjoying a comfortable silence between the two of them. They walked throughout the afternoon, and stopped to enjoy the sunset, Jack holding his wife in his arms and the both of them stroking her bulging belly. As the sun set, Jack looked down at his lass.  
  
"You know, luv, I think that you should stay here until the little one is born," he said, startling her completely.  
  
Lara looked up at him. "Jack, are you mad? I don't want to have the baby without you here with me!" she exclaimed, panicking at the thought of losing her husband for such a large amount of time.  
  
"I know, luv, but you shouldn't travel when you're with child," Jack said. "Lots of things could happen if you were on the Pearl, and I won't risk losing you and the babe to a chance storm or accident."  
  
"Well, why don't we have the whole crew stay here with us?" she asked, desperate to keep Jack there with her.  
  
"Lass, do you really think that the townspeople would put up with the crew for longer than six days, much less six months?" Jack asked her, jokingly raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, no," Lara replied. She sighed and turned her attention back towards the ocean and the colors of the sunset. Suddenly, an idea hit her. "Jack, why don't you and I stay here while you send the crew to Tortuga or another one of its islands for the next six months? Surely they wouldn't mind that?"  
  
Jack frowned in thought. "Aye, luv, that might work," he said thoughtfully. Then he grinned. "While they're at it, they can fix up the Pearl a bit, make it more suitable for having a baby onboard! Maybe even make a cradle and a few toys!" he exclaimed, laughing at the idea of Mr. Gibbs and Annamaria carving out a cradle for the baby.  
  
Lara laughed as well. "Aye, it'd be good for them to keep themselves busy and in shape instead of drinking themselves stupid in a tavern for six months."  
  
"Then it's settled!" Jack said, grinning. "I'll tell the crew, and we'll see if Will and Elizabeth will be able to put up with us two pirates until springtime!"  
  
After that, the two of them finished watching the sunset before making their way back towards their home for the next six months.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Yes, this story is almost over. There's just the epilogue left, but I promise that it'll be good because the new arrival will be here! Also, there's going to be quite a surprise in it for the readers. Oh, question: does anyone want to know about Lara's background? You all remember that she just "washed up" in Port Royal, but still haven't found anything about her yet. If you're curious, tell me in your review! If no one wants to know, I'll leave it out, no problem. Anyway, please leave a review! Thanks! (And a special thanks to those who have already reviewed! I've gotten over a hundred of them! Thanks so much, I love you all!) 


	13. The New Arrival

Disclaimer: Disney still needs Jack for the films, so he's not mine.  
  
AN: Yes, this is it! The last chapter of "Oceans of Revenge" is below. I know that it's not an epilogue, but I had too much to write for it to be that short! Also, I suggest you savor this for a while. Homework still dominates my time, so don't expect an update before the second week of December (that's when final exams and everything is over). Pray to the pirate gods that I pass all of my classes, or there won't be anymore stories! Anyway, enjoy this last chapter!  
  
Chapter 13: The New Arrival:  
  
Six Months Later:  
  
Lara sighed as she looked out of the guest room window towards the sea. She was very glad that Will and Elizabeth had asked her and Jack to change guest rooms; their previous room hadn't had a view, and the Turners thought that the Sparrows would miss the ocean since the Pearl had left. Now Lara stood at the window and caressed her swollen belly.  
  
Six long months had passed for the Sparrows and the Turners. Lara had begun to feel like a whale with her large stomach, and Jack didn't help very much; he drove her absolutely mad by always fussing over her. She had to constantly remind him that she was pregnant, not dying.  
  
Will and Elizabeth weren't any better. Elizabeth was always giving Lara advice that she didn't want, and Will and Jack were constantly worrying over Lara's condition. Lara could forgive Jack for worrying, but having Will do so along with him was a touch much. Between the three of them caring for her, Lara felt that the only sane person in the house besides her was Billy, who was always glad to have Lara play with him and take him places. Billy also liked feeling the baby kick, though he sometimes said that it felt like the baby was punching and kicking at the same time; Lara could agree with that. Now she could hardly wait for the baby to be born, just so that she could be able to bend over again and be able to do things instead of just standing around and being fussed over!  
  
Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted through her. Lara gasped as she clasped her stomach.  
  
"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed softly. She suddenly felt something wet running down her legs. 'Oh dear,' she thought. She quickly raced for the door and opened it, only to find Jack about to enter. The pirate took one look at her and concern flooded his face.  
  
"Luv, are ye alright?" he asked.  
  
"Jack, the baby's coming!" she gasped as another bolt of pain shot through her.  
  
"The baby's what?" Jack asked, his eyes widening. After seeing that Lara was in too much pain and too busy to answer, Jack immediately panicked. He picked her up and set her down on the bed. "Don't worry, luv, I'll go get help, just hang on!" He raced out the door, leaving Lara to lay there and try to bring her child into the world.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Several hours later, Jack was pacing up and down the hallway of the Turner's living room. Will had taken Billy to stay at the Governor's until the new Sparrow arrived, since it didn't seem wise to have him in a house with a woman giving birth, and Jack really wished that his friend was there with him. Jack really wanted Will's support, but would have to make do with the situation. Actually, what he really wanted was a large bottle of rum to calm his nerves, but he didn't want to visit his child and expose it to rum, or its smell, so soon. So, with nothing better to do, Jack began another round of pacing, trying to ignore his wife's pain-filled screams.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Lara had never been in so much pain in her life! Even when she had been stabbed in the leg on one of the Pearl's voyages to Europe and crossed swords with a Spanish merchant ship. Oh, yes, this was much worse!  
  
"Come on, Lara, push!" Elizabeth said, encouraging her friend. She and a midwife stood at the end of the bed, cloths and warm water ready.  
  
"I AM PUSHING!" Lara screamed as she pushed again.  
  
"I can see the head, Lara!" the midwife exclaimed. "Come on, you can do it!"  
  
After several more pushes, Lara collapsed against the pillows in exhaustion. "Well?"  
  
The midwife smiled. "It's a boy!" she said, holding up a crying, squirming babe for her to see.  
  
Lara immediately reached for the baby. "Can I hold him?"  
  
Elizabeth and the midwife laughed. "No, Lara, not yet," the woman said. She gave the baby to Elizabeth to be cleaned.  
  
"Now, are you sure you want to name him Jack?" Elizabeth asked. "After all- " Elizabeth was cut off by a cry of pain from Lara. "Lara, what's wrong?"  
  
"Lizzie, it's happening again!" Lara cried. Soon, the contractions began again.  
  
"Oh, God, Lara," Elizabeth gasped as she checked on her friend. "I think there's another one coming!"  
  
"Another what?" asked Lara between stabs of pain.  
  
"Another baby, Lara!" exclaimed the midwife, after making sure of her condition. "You're having twins!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jack thought he was going to go mad. The three women had been in that room for hours! How long did it take to have a baby?! He swore that if no one came for him, he was going to go to the door himself and demand to see his wife! She needed him!  
  
"Mr. Sparrow?" called a voice.  
  
Jack's head snapped up. "Yes?" he asked, addressing the midwife. "Is the baby here? Is my lass alright?" he asked, racing up to her.  
  
The woman smiled. "Mrs. Sparrow fine, just a bit tired is all. Would you like to see them?"  
  
Jack nodded and followed the midwife up stairs. When she opened the door, the most wonderful sight greeted him. His wife was beautiful, even though she was sweaty, her hair limp, and was sitting propped up by pillows. His little child was in her arms. A huge grin spread onto his face as he walked towards his lass, not even acknowledging Elizabeth standing in the corner, her back to him as she washed something in a basin.  
  
"Well, luv, we did it, didn't we?" he asked his wife.  
  
"That we did, Jack," she said back, smiling softly at him. "Now why don't you say hello to your son?"  
  
Jack leaned forward and glanced at the small face, which was calm in sleep. "Hello, lad," he whispered, reaching out to stroke the baby's face. "You're going to be the finest pirate in all of the Seven Seas, aren't ye? Just like yer father."  
  
"And what about your daughter, Jack Sparrow?" Elizabeth asked, turning back towards the pirate, a small bundle in her arms.  
  
Jack's eyes almost popped out of his head. "My what?! What are ye talking about, lass?"  
  
Elizabeth and Lara both rolled their eyes. "You've just had twins, Master Sparrow," Elizabeth said, holding out the second bundle for him to take. "This is your daughter."  
  
Jack reached out and gently took the bundle into his arms. He looked down and saw the little girl look up at him before yawning and falling asleep in his arms. Jack felt a tear fall down his cheek, splashing onto the blanket.  
  
"A girl of my own?" he asked in disbelief. "Twins? I don't believe it!" He reached out and stroked the small, soft cheek of his little daughter. "Since we have a little Jack, what do we call ye, little lass?" He asked the baby, though he didn't expect an answer.  
  
"How about Julia?" Lara said. "I've always like that name."  
  
Jack grinned. "We'll call her Jewel for short, because she'll be our little treasure," he said.  
  
Lara smiled. "And what will our son be nicknamed?" she asked her husband.  
  
"Well, we'll think of something, luv," Jack told his wife, grinning at her.  
  
Meanwhile, Lara gave a yawn, clearly indicating that she needed rest. Elizabeth and the midwife took the babies and left Jack alone with his wife. The two Sparrows soon fell into a quiet, happy slumber.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning, Will brought Billy and the Governor over to see the new twin Sparrows. Both the Governor and Will were shocked that Jack and Lara had birthed twins, but Billy seemed ecstatic; he was eager for new playmates, but was crushed when Lara told him that they wouldn't be able to play together until the twins were older.  
  
Soon, two weeks passed, and Jack and Lara couldn't be happier. The twins were extremely good natured (which wasn't surprising, considering who their father was) and slept almost the entire night straight through. This alone amazed the Turners to no end, and Lara could tell that this had never happened with Billy when he had been that young.  
  
One day, while Will and Jack had left for town, Elizabeth was in the kitchen, and Lara was upstairs having just finished putting Jack and Julia into their shared cradle, a knock came from the front door. She waited until Elizabeth came upstairs to get her.  
  
"Lara, Mr. Gibbs, Annamaria, and Scar are here to see you," she said.  
  
Lara nodded before picking up her daughter while Elizabeth picked up little Jack. As the two of them came through the door of the parlor, the three crewmembers looked up, their jaws soon dropping in shock.  
  
Lara smiled at them. "I'd like to introduce you to Jack and Julia Sparrow," she said, holding out little Julia the same moment Elizabeth held out baby Jack.  
  
"Lara," whispered Annamaria. "You had twins?"  
  
Scar grinned. "And a lovely set they make, too," he said, getting up from his seat. He took little Julia into his large hands before looking down at her and smiling. "Hello, lass," he whispered to her. "Aren't ye a lovely one, just like your mama."  
  
Annamaria smiled before taking little Jack into her arms and giving him a quick look-over. "Aye, little one, ye look just like your father," she said to the baby boy. "I can tell that you're going to be a handful!" The baby yawned in response. Annamaria grinned wider. "And don't think that little yawn is going to fool me!" she said, earning a laugh from Lara.  
  
Mr. Gibbs simply stood there and blinked. "I still don't believe it," he said, rubbing his beard. "Twin Sparrows. I never thought I'd see the day!" He reached for Julia and took her in his arms. "Well, maybe having women onboard won't be so bad after all." Lara and Annamaria exchanged a smile at that comment. Soon they were all seated in the parlor talking over the past six long months, which had relatively been uneventful. The crew had converted Jack's "personal stash" treasure room into a nursery for the babies (though they now needed to double everything!), which was actually a fairly good-sized room. The Pearl had been cleaned from top to bottom, barnacles had been scraped off the hull, and the crew had turned one of the storage rooms into a play area for the babies to play in and stay out of the crew's way. Each of the crewmembers had sworn to take a bit of baby duty, though that needed to be arranged even more now that there were two instead of one onboard!  
  
When Will and Jack arrived, they too talked with the three crewmembers about the past six months before they all needed a break for dinner. It was then that everyone realized that it would soon be time for the Sparrows to be leaving Port Royal and returning to their home on the high seas.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Two weeks later, after having restocked the ship and doubled the things needed for the arrival of the twins, the Sparrow family stood on the deck of the Black Pearl, waving goodbye to the Turner family after promising to come back often so that the children could play together. As Port Royal faded from sight, Jack and Lara stood on the bow of their ship, Jack holding their daughter and Lara holding their son, as they stood gazing at the water and all of the great fun and adventure it would bring into their lives, as well as the lives of their children. They could hardly wait to see what fortunes and things the future would bring them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
AN: Well, that's it! Part three is over, and part four should be up the second week of December. Sorry again about the wait, but homework does come first! Maybe I'll post something before then, but don't get your hopes up too high. Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed this story and the ones before it, and thanks to Cap'n Reikon, who has been my best pirate supporter through all of this!  
  
See you all in Part Four! 


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